Breeding season

After skipping almost a week, I returned to the wetlands yesterday and discovered a lot of love in the air.  The Great Blue Herons were busy building nests.  I never associated herons and palm trees before but there are about 15 palm trees in a fenced in area.  Every tree I could get close to had a pair of herons.

There are a couple of trees that are close enough that I will be able to follow and document the progress of the new families.  What a nice benefit to add to the many others of a daily walk in the wetlands.

There is also a pair of nesting American Kestrels but I have not been able to figure out where the nest is.  For the past couple of weeks the kestrel in the following picture has been sitting on the top of that yucca tree.

I can't wait until I have a dog to share my hikes with.  Of the six dogs I passed yesterday, three were black labs.  Coincidence?  Here are a few more pictures:

And finally, a Coral Tree in mid-bloom.  This tree, and about 20 more like it, line the entry road to the housing development adjacent to the wetlands.  The homes start at $1,380,000.00 but the ones on the cliffs that overlook the wetlands and the Pacific Ocean beyond go for almost $3,000,000.00.