"The Nest" is my first fine-art offering. The watercolor painting is of a female and male Blue Heron building their nest for their family. I was fortunate to take the reference photo used for the painting and it was taken in the Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida.
I spent about 45 minutes photographing this pair. The male Blue Heron would fly off to find branches and other matter. When he returned, the female would take what he found - beak from beak - and arrange the matter to build the nest.
It was true partnership and I felt blessed to witness such a ritual.
Options: Fine Art Paper Print or Framed Stretched Canvas
This option is for an unframed, unmatted 300gsm fine art paper print on 100% cotton rag, semi-smooth (hot press) fine art and photography paper. It is archival, and acid-free.
This option features a thick, archival-grade polycotton-mix canvas that is carefully hand-stretched over kiln-dried pine stretcher bars and floated in a wood frame.
Heron pairs can stay together for years. They sometimes reuse their nest for multiple years, adding to it each year. The young are cared for by their parents for up to 5 months.
Herons construct their nests from medium to large twigs and line the interior with moss, leaves, grass, and other softer materials.
Blue herons are colonial nesters, and some of the larger colonies can feature some 500 nests or more! Heron colonies are called heronries - herons flock together close to essential feeding grounds and generally return to the same spot every year.
Source: https://birdfact.com/articles/great-blue-heron-nesting