Making the Rounds.....

We checked the Eagle's nest and Heron rookery yesterday and finally spotted Heron chicks! Looks like two in this nest! Obviously they are not very small, so we should have seen them before now....but it is very far away. This is the easiest nest to see and the only one we were sure had babies in it.
I have to crop these so much to see anything at all. You can see that the other mother's are still sitting on their nests. I'm glad this one is at a tip of a branch and easy to see.

It was hard to tell at times if there was one or two chicks. I just kept taking photos and hoped that when I got home they would show something. It is easier to see them with the binoculars, but not a lot. There was no activity at the eagle's nest. She was sitting on the edge, but the chicks were out of sight.

Next we headed to the wetlands to catch up on the wildlife there. The turtles this week were in extremes of size.....

There was this one HUGE snapping turtle.....would not like to meet up with this guy!

I tried to get around the side for a better photo. About the time I took this, another smaller turtle saw me and splashed into the water. This guy followed suit.

....at the other extreme of size, this little guy is about the size of a half-dollar.

A titmouse sitting on the "needle's eye".

We saw these two rather small very plain brown ducks. Never seen them there before.

Later they were curled up in the shallows sleeping. I think their feathers look very downy. Do you think they are young ducks? I have no idea what kind they are.

Here is a close-up of one of them. Look at those soft looking feathers!

The swallows were swooping, but the one on the right seemed to like to just sit on the rail. I walked up to within 3 feet of it before it flew away!

What on earth is the one on the left doing??

I thought the wing feathers were interesting.

The head and shoulders.

Several of the goose familes were out for a swim. I'm showing this distance shot to give you the "lay of the land". They stopped right about where they are and then they get out and walk up the hill. Half way up the hill is the road.....which they go back and forth across several times a day! Then down the other side of the road and up the levee, which is the highest part of the hill you can see. There are some shallow water areas over on that side of the road and they like to go over there. I'm always amazed they make it across the road. I have seen whole families of them walking up the middle of the road!

Here the are eating their way up the hill :-)

Waiting to cross the road....so funny looking all lined up!

It was a great day, but I need to get up earlier and see if I can see some different birds for a change.