Simple Gifts

We walked and walked again yesterday, and saw sights we'd never seen, and other's we've seen, but not in quite a while.  We spotted the nest and heard the call of a marsh wren, but he was hiding in the cattails, busy making a whole series of fabulous potential nests for his mate. Apparently, she gets to choose the one she likes best.  Lucky girl.  

We heard, then saw, a moorhen, which the birders we ran into told us is pretty unusual around here.  My friend Melissa can tell me if this is true or not.  I snapped photos of the moorhen in the cattails, but none good enough to show.  They have fantastic red bills and a truly audacious call.   

Saw the lovely lady slippers above.  When I was growing up we had a lady slipper right in our back yard under a small stand of pine trees.  These two were all by themselves in a pretty spot of dappled shade.
We saw a million (not much of an exaggeration) new Canada Geese out swimming and eating and sunning with their parents.  The grown-up geese were amazingly patient with the babies, and very protective in a quiet (for geese) way.  We were careful not to bother them, but they often surprised us by walking right next to us along the path.


This turtle was hanging out in the brush and poison ivy, and no, I didn't get near the ivy.  I am in love with turtles.  We always see many of them in the water, but I am particularly charmed when I spot one in a shady hideout like this.
It should be obvious by now that I am in love with herons, too.  How can I resist such beauty?