Tag: water

When Indigo Jack Found Sora

When Indigo Jack Found Sora

When Indigo Jack Found Sora

There are moments when the wind stills, and the world leans in.

High in the pines, where the sky folds softly into needles and light, I met a pair of great blue herons who seemed untouched by time.

When Indigo Jack Found Sora

I had seen them before from afar—graceful silhouettes skimming the water’s edge, sentinels of the marsh.

But that day, they flew right beside me. Not away. Not afraid. Just there, like I was part of the story. And in that moment, I was.

He came first, bold and brushed in indigo, his wings cutting wide through the blue. I call him Indigo Jack, a name that feels just wild enough to belong to a creature of wind and water. He carried a stick in his beak, not for himself, but for her. The one who waited.

When Indigo Jack Found Sora

Her name is Sora, meaning “sky,” and she wears it like a crown. There is a hush about her, a quiet knowing. She is moonlight in feathers. Not soft, but sacred.

When Indigo Jack Found Sora

Together, they built a nest—twig by twig, moment by moment. And I watched, breath held, as Jack passed a branch to Sora, their bills touching not in hunger, but in offering. A ritual older than memory.

Watch this video on YouTube.
Sandra J's Photography

Link Two Herons Building Nest Video

I often feel that nature lets us in only when we’re still enough. Quiet enough. Respectful enough to be trusted.

When Indigo Jack Found Sora

This was creation unfolding, and I was invited to witness it.


When Indigo Jack Found Sora

Have a Wonderful Weekend.


And the wings kept beating.

Sandra J’s Adventures Outdoors

Real Christianity the Great Awakening

By RJ Dawson

Sandra J’s Photography

Thank you for stopping by.

Adobe

Water Landscapes

As Dawn Breaks

As Dawn Breaks

As Dawn Breaks, the world begins to stir. From the vantage point of an old bridge, the river below lays perfectly still, a sheet of glass reflecting the sky above.

The water is a mirror, capturing fluffy clouds drifting lazily across the horizon. It’s a moment where time seems to pause, inviting deep breaths and quiet contemplation.

As Dawn Breaks

Standing on the bridge, the view is breathtaking. The river winds gracefully through the landscape, flanked by trees adorned in the vibrant greens of late summer.

The silence is soothing. It is broken only by the occasional rustle of a breeze. There is also the soft splash of a fish breaking the surface.

In this serene setting, worries drift away like the clouds above. Here, on this bridge, amidst the stillness, one can find clarity and tranquility. It’s a perfect morning, a fleeting glimpse of nature’s serenity, reminding us of the beauty that exists in quiet moments.

As Dawn Breaks

Have a wonderful weekend.

As Dawn Breaks

Sandra J’s Into the Light Adventures

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

By Sandra J

#escapetonatureforu #nikond850

Discovering the New Bird Sanctuary

Discovering the New Bird Sanctuary

Discovering the New Bird Sanctuary near Paducah KN. I just looked at the map and saw a green area not far from us. So we took a drive to see what it was.

This area had a nice size man made lake with a road that you can drive all around it. Plenty of habitat for a lot of birds and people out fishing on the lake as well.

We discovered this new bird walking along the shore line.

Discovering the New Bird Sanctuary
New Bird Sanctuary

Dozens of Egrets in the trees and on land. I will definitely be visiting this park again to see more birds.

Discovering the New Bird Sanctuary

Discovering the New Bird Sanctuary

Sandra J’s Into the Light Adventures

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

By Sandra J

#escapetonatureforu #nikond850

Swan Dive

Swan Dive

Swan Dive – Look at the size of those flippers. I took these photos in Iowa a couple of years ago. I just had to bring them back up being I have been posting about swans.

We were walking along the edge of a small lake surrounded by tall vegetation and we could here this loud noise and the sound of water splashing. We walked over to a clearing and looked across the water and found the source of all this commotion.

Swan Dive

Seeing a swan taking a bath is quite something. They have a wing span of 6 to 10 feet long. The longest wingspan recorded is 10 feet 2 inches.

Swan Dive

The trumpeter swan is the largest extant species of waterfowl, and both the heaviest and longest native bird of North America. They come in at 15 to 30 lbs.

swan taking a bath

These swans need at least a 100 meter-long “runway” of open water: running hard across the surface, they almost sound like galloping horses as they generate speed for take off. About as long as a soccer field.

swan splashing in water

Hopefully I will photograph that one day, landing and taking off.

Swan Dive
Swan Dive

Swan Dive

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts

The Trumpeter Swan

The Trumpeter Swan

The Trumpeter Swan – There are 6 swans species and I have photographed two of them. This one here being the trumpeter swan.

I went for years never seeing a swan anywhere, but now do to conservation efforts these swans have been taken off of the endangered species list and are found in many states including Iowa. Where I photographed these here.

The Trumpeter Swan

I added the snow effect on this bottom photo.

The Trumpeter Swan

This photo below has a soft white vignette.

This photo below has some sparkling water effects around the swans. I do like this one below.

The Trumpeter Swan

Sandra J

Sandra J’s Photography & Fine Arts