Beauty, Peace and Enlightenment at Shangri La Gardens in Orange, Texas (Part 2)

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An Oasis for Birds

Green Heron

Many birds flew high above our pontoon boat as we slowly cruised Adams Bayou. We were lucky to spot a Green Heron perched in a tree along the bayou.

Ruby Lake Heronry

The Ruby Lake heronry is home to thousands of nesting birds, including Egrets and Cormorants. A state-of-the-art bird blind allows visitors to enjoy the spectacular view while ensuring the safety of the birds. Knowledgable Shangri La volunteers  hand out binoculars and answer any questions. From the blind, we saw Great Egrets, Cormorants and one Roseate Spoonbill. The volunteer said that there were fifteen Spoonbills at the heronry earlier in the day.

Egrets

There were nesting Great Egrets as far as the eye could see around and in every tree. This majestic white bird can have a wingspan of over 50 inches. We watched in awe as the Egrets built their nests, fed baby birds and sat on their blue eggs.