So let’s see….I was a miserable failure according to the little birds over on the nature trails, so I decided to go out to the boardwalk to see what if anything was going on at the heron rookery.

Every year I try to get out there frequently in the spring to watch the littles grow up. But I never get there enough, and this year I missed all of it.

Cause the littles weren’t so little anymore!

It was about mid-day and most of the feeding activity had apparently already happened. There wasn’t much in the way of adults flying around.

But there was still enough activity to initiate a few anxious moments as the teenagers determined if the adult flying in was their adult.

Disappointment ran rampant.

I enjoyed watching this mama (or daddy?) heron working on their nest.

After she got it the way she wanted it she rested a moment, shook her feathers and then sat back down.

I think it’s a little late for eggs to still be there but maybe she has some late arrival babies in there.

Mostly the adults just seemed tired of all the noise and chaos.

I wasn’t getting anything all that exciting when a group of kids showed up and I figured it was time to go.

But then I took a few more pictures of stuff…

and as I was doing that I saw this swan flying toward me.

Directly at me, actually,

Until he (or she) was right there in front of me and then overhead. It was amazing and resulted in my favorite shots of the day.

Things like being in the flight path of a swan make me want to go out there every day. I was definitely smiling as I headed for the car.

And I smiled some more when I stopped at a little picnic area on my way out of the park. But that will have to wait.