Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Shades of Indigo

Scilla sp.

Deep Blue blooming

If a day were to be remembered in color,
I would tag this day, Indigo.


Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias

By the time we reached the lake at Englewood, the morning clouds had all but passed, a brilliant blue we’d long been promised, today, a sure thing. Across the broad, open water, several tall silhouetted forms stood out—slowly stepping and stalking between the islands—the Great Blue Herons that enjoy this shallow, silt-filled reservoir and all the frogs and small fish filling its boundaries.
Conservancy Lake, only several feet deep, is a large wetland area that fills when Stillwater Creek overflows onto the formerly farmed fields bordering its path. Becoming naturally shallower each year, as deposits are carried and left by rising waters, this basin hosts many wading and dipping waterfowl and large jumping fish that swirl at the edge of the mudflats, churning below the surface.

Green-winged Teals, Anas crecca, feeding with Mallards

Common Merganser, Mergus merganser

Flock of Northern Shovelers, Anas clypeata
(in distance, behind geese)


From across the water where Green-winged Teals cluster near an edge of brushy growth, Canada geese honk and defend territories claimed for this season’s nesting. Dark lumps rest in the sunshine, safely hidden against the brown earth of an island. A Common Merganser, dipping and diving for small fish, popping up haphazardly with his brilliant red bill, weaves his way past, as careless needle strokes through blue fabric, while we watch from the bank above. Beyond the island, flocks of Northern Shovelers dip and bob, their large, green heads shining, rusty sides, dark against the white of their bodies.
Many birds love this lake.

Blue-winged Teal, Anas discors,
dabbling with Mallards


At the other end, in a quiet corner where Leopard frogs are calling from submerged logs, a smaller group is dabbling. Against the smooth blue and brown reflection, with barely the depth to cover exposed roots in this secluded overflow, just one of his kind, head-down more than above water—a Blue-winged Teal, the striking white crescent marking his face, as he moves slowly with this group of Mallards, feeding here.


And I, not normally the bench-sitter, found one too difficult to resist,
and sat, looking out over the many shades of indigo.

Still Water of Conservancy Lake

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28 comments:

Kerri Farley said...

Beautiful post! I delight in your words. Beautiful pics....and I LOVE the bench :)

Wanda..... said...

I certainly relate to your post of Shades of Indigo...this morning I saw my first set of Bluebirds checking out the bird houses...we haven't had any for 2 years...hope they stay and raise young ones like before...I always enjoy reading and learning here at Nature Remains!

Kathie Brown said...

What a peaceful place! I love all the shades of greens, grays and blue in that last photo. I wouldn't mind sitting here and waiting either!

jozien said...

Nina!
Ohhh, What i feel; it breaks open my heart. not in grief but in...
Well, you described it. Where i don't know the words for such... love. Thanks for sharing.

abb said...

Great I post.

Is that the scilla plant/flower in the first and second photos?

Anonymous said...

Magical-looking, and your words carry the wonder in them!

bobbie said...

Lovely, lovely, lovely. Your words and the pictures.

Anonymous said...

the bench surely looks tempting, t drink in all this beauty!

Rune Eide said...

Beautiful area, beautiful pictures and beautiful words - but what is really indigo?

Endment said...

Indigo is a favorite color and this just adds to the images I will visualize when I think again of indigo

Beautiful

nina at Nature Remains. said...

Rune--Indigo is a difficult color to capture, both physically and conceptually. (just check wikipedia!) It falls somewhere between blue and violet and is most often described as the deepest shade of blue--like midnight blue.
Intersetingly enough, computer screens do not represent it well--but the water here was the shade that goes beyond just merely blue...to indigo. I've thrown the Heron, Blue-winged Teal and scilla flowers in for a bigger dose of color.

TYRA Hallsénius Lindhe said...

That was the first thing that entered my mind. Indigo - It's a beautiful name I think. Your photos are wonderful, love all the shades that you managed to catch.

Lovely work.

Tyra

Janie said...

Interesting post about all the birds you've seen. Beautiful indigo flowers, too.

Daniel Chérouvrier said...

indigo, a word which invites to travel towards India.

Sylvia K said...

Marvelous photos, marvelous and moving words! Thanks you for a beautiful ABC Wednesday!

Bling - our elf on the shelf said...

Both words and photos are beautiful!

gone to the dogs said...

Your pictures and your words are beautiful. thanks for sharing.

anthonynorth said...

A beautiful, peaceful looking place. You bring it to life.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I can see why you couldn't resist that bench. I would be sitting right there beside you with my sketchbook in hand soaking up those marvelous soothing indigo moments.

Anonymous said...

I identify with your feelings about the beauty of spring. Ours is going to be visible soon. Your photos brought back wonderful memories of spring here.

Unknown said...

Shades of indigo! What a great i! I love it! Very pretty flowers.

Tumblewords: said...

Gorgeous scenes and magical words. A pleasure to read.

hitch writer said...

I try not to read the comments or else all the adjectives are taken up !!!

Fantastic pictures Nina !!! really gorgeous ones !!!

and hey do visit my photoblog : http://amateurclicker.blogspot.com

spacedlaw said...

Wonderfully peaceful.

Nancy said...

You have a gift. I'm so glad I found your site.

Reader Wil said...

What a wonderful post did you share with us! Thank you. You also met many birds and show great knowledge of birdlife.

Dragonstar said...

Such a lovely post! I enjoyed all of it, particularly the beauty of the delicate scilla.

Susan Gets Native said...

I found those exact blue flowers at RAPTOR the other day, and didn't know what they were! Should have known that you would spot them at the same time....our "nature" lives seem to be parallel....