This heron picture requires some explanation. The lens settings on both Nikons were wrong (set for close-ups, not distance shots) and thus many pictures we took didn’t come out well. We both tried so hard to get this heron, which admittedly was pretty far away, so I’m posting a few pictures of it just because of the effort ;-).

*****

We went back to the 700-acre Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washington, D.C., to see the lotuses and water lilies in advance of their annual festival next weekend, mainly to avoid the horrendous parking problems during the event.

I’m always amazed to find places of such incredible natural beauty like this in the District – only 12 minutes by car from our house. We had three cameras with us, two of whose lenses were on an incorrect setting, unfortunately, but we still managed to get some pictures of the flowers, pools, tidal marsh, dragonflies, butterflies, deer and birds.

The heart of a lotus, posted earlier: