Carolyn's Happy Place

The water retention area behind our neighborhood has become Carolyn's happy place.  Here are a few pictures from different times over the past two years:

Great Egret in the distance.

Our neighborhood (Pin Oak Village) is right over the hill in the background.

There was a rookery in spring / summer 2012 - Little Blue Herons, Cattle Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, etc.

That's the Katy Mills Mall in the background.

"We're your friends..." Black Crowned Night Herons (April 2013)

Rookery 2012

Little Blue Heron (rookery 2012)

Rookery 2012 - it's hard to get close to the nests.

Through the trees at a juvenile Snowy Egret in the rookery - 2012

Cattle Egrets - rookery 2012 

A Snowy among Cattle - rookery 2012

Carolyn took this shot of a Roseate Spoonbill and two friends (Snowy Egrets)

A great Roseate Spoonbill photo by Carolyn

Little Blue Heron taking flight - also by Carolyn

That is actually a juvenile Little Blue Heron (also by Carolyn)

Carolyn is the master of reflections - even in poor light!!

This summer the rookery is gone but there are some Anhingas nesting.
These can be kind of mangy birds, but during breeding season the white feathers
on the backs of the males are pretty spectacular.

I couldn't decide which of these two I liked better so I kept both.
April 2013

Gray Catbird in the shadows (April 2013)

 I call these next four "Study of Black Crowned Night Heron in Flight"

I'm getting a little better with my camera

April 2013

Another Black Crowned Night Heron

Juvenile White Ibis - April 2013
This is in the middle of one of the ponds
I had to trek through some pretty thick brambles (mostly wild blackberries) to get this shot.
It is impossible to see this spot from anywhere else.

Cedar Waxwing - April 2013

I know, it's just a Northern Mockingbird, but he really wanted me to take his picture (April 2013)