Wednesday, March 31, 2010

White in My Garden-- And it Ain't Snow

Today is such a pretty day I had to spend some of it outside. Here is some of the white that I encountered. Bridalwreath Spirea, Spiraea prunifolia. Super shrub.





While trying to get a good photo of some of the ferns unfurling a Snowy Egret landed in the creek to fish for dinner.

I got to get a little closer (of course the lens I had was for macro shots, not the best for zooming in).

Spooked, it took off to find dinner further up the creek.






words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

21 comments:

  1. Great shots! The flowers and the Snowy Egret are beautiful.

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  2. Beautiful! I just added this spirea to my garden last spring. I had two Vanhoutte but this one is different. Funny thing Dirr says in his book "I see no place for this shrub in today's garden." Ha! Can't tell me that I love it too for that pure white, though mine is tiny. That bird is beautiful. Never seen one before.

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  3. Great spirea pics! I find the tiny blooms to be difficult to focus on.

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  4. Janet,
    I love the snowy egret photo -- and wasn't it a lovely day for us in the Southeastern US?
    Lisa

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  5. Fantastic shot of the egret in flight! And that was with a macro lens? Super! Nice spirea blooms, too;-) Hopefully you'll have some interesting wildlife on your lake in SC to photograph as well!

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  6. oh, how lucky to have that Egret land right there Janet. Don't you hate when you have one lens on and need the other? That happens to me a lot.
    The bridal wreath is beautiful. We have to get out and enjoy these pretty days ~ glad you did just that.

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  7. I have a special fondness for this spirea...It's so dainty and pretty. Great shots of the Snowy egret...I'm looking at the photo as I type...wow! gail

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  8. White is always so serene. Love the Egret...even the blurry one I love! Great action shot!

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  9. I am still enjoying our Bridalwreath today. She was so stark white this year and I am guessing she enjoyed the winter rains. We occasionally see white egret at the lake. They are beautiful birds...

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  10. This is definitely better than snow:) The spirea blooms are so pretty; they remind me of the old-fashioned spirea that my grandmother grew. It's a beautiful day here, too, and I should be outside...but I spent a few hours cleaning up flowerbeds, and my muscles said "Enough!":)

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  11. Oh, what a beautiful picture of the egret. Isn't it wonderful to have a camera just for unexpected moments such as this?

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  12. What beautiful pictures! I love the Egret!!

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  13. Yay! It AIN'T snow. Finally you're getting the spring you deserve, Janet. I love the spirea blossoms. They're like Barbie Doll roses.

    So confession time: I thought those big white birds were herons. I have a wood sculpture for my pond and I call "it" Sharon the Heron. But now I've got to amend that to ... let's see what rhymes with Egret? Margaret, maybe? Margret the Egret. Hmm...might work.

    The last shot of the egret flying is really well done especially considering you didn't have a lot of time for focusing.

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  14. I've noticed that the local marshes are starting to get the gray-green haze down low, not as showy as your Spiraea or Egret, but a welcome sign nonetheless.

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  15. This is over at the new house on the lake? What fun you'll have with all that bird watching to be done. Very exciting siting! We never get anything like that around here, although there was rumor of an owl spotting in our hood recently.

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  16. VERY pretty! Love the whites.
    We just get Blue Herons here. Still, they're pretty.

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  17. The egret looks great in combination with the spiraea...maybe you should keep one tied up in your yard as a permanent garden ornament. I guess that would be mean. How about a white peacock?

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  18. Focusing on white, is pure and serene..... the aerial flight is almost effortless. Beautiful shot!

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  19. I missed this post earlier, but discovered it while tracking back through comments to return the compliments, Janet. What a gorgeous shot of your spirea, but that snowy egret was even more stunning. We don't have egrets here, but we do have blue herons, which should be showing up shortly. (they overwinter somewhere warmer).

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  20. Greetings friends! Once again a number of days have gone by without my replying to your kind
    comments. When this moving/house sale sutff is over and done I will have lots more time to get back to the blog.

    Cameron, thanks so much.

    Tina, I respectfully disagree with Mr. Dirr...I love this spirea. I really like the Egrets, they are so white and never seem to take the slimey mud with them as they move through the mud flats.

    Ginger, I was brave and took my camera off Auto focus and viola!

    Lisa, this has been a roller coast of a spring so far!

    Jan, thanks, wish it wasn't blurry. We do have lots of similar wildlife in SC, so more photo opportunities.

    Kathleen, we have Egrets and Heron here all the time. I needed to have that macro lens that day for sure!!!

    Gail, I love this spirea, simple and full of blooms. As for the Egret, thanks!

    Rosey, around this time of year the white just jumps out at you. ...both the bird and the bloom,...wish it wasn't blurry. :-(

    Skeeter, I have been bringing cuttings of the spirea in to add to the vase with the daffodils.

    Rose, sure is better than snow! I have been trying to pace myself in the garden. Had two tick bites so far.....ughhhhh

    Noelle, thanks, I really love the big birds we get, some are easier to photograph than others.

    Debbie, thanks!

    Grace, that is for sure...I am tired of snow. I think they are like Barbie doll roses too! Great minds.
    btw- Egrets are in the heron family....so maybe she should be Sharon the Heron's cousin. hahahaha

    sweetbay, they are graceful aren't they. My spirea is only a couple years old and growing gangbusters.

    Les, any sign of spring is a welcome one.

    Megan,this is in my current backyard, though we will have egrets on the lake. I really look forward to the new wildlife watching. Now that the windows are open I hear our owls. We have a Screech Owl and a Great Horned Owl nearby.

    Kim & Vitoria, thanks so much.

    Dirty Girl Gardening, welcome, thanks for coming.

    Phillip, thanks, have one tied up eh? You are very funny. A white peacock would drive the dogs crazy.

    Bangchik, pure and serence, nice --thanks.

    Jodi, I am glad you came by. We have both egrets and Blue Herons, and every so often we have Green Herons and Crested Night Herons. I think our Great Blues are here all winter....maybe??

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