Business took me to Vancouver, BC in Canada on a chilly day in early May. The sun was bright, but a Cincinnatian dressed for 80 deg. (F) weather, was not prepared for the brisk 60- degree atmosphere in Vancouver. Undaunted, I set forth to visit Stanley Park, one of Vancouver's showplace sites. I had never seen the in-tree nesting of the blue herons and wanted to do so. (An old city-dweller like me was not sure these crane-like birds actually nested in trees rather than on the ground. They do.)

Nesting was in full swing. Some herons had completeted the job and were in the final stages of furnishing their nests. Others were just starting and gathering materials for construction. One of the tardy birds seemed to still be looking around for a good spot. The first heron, was this late-comer followed by a pair that was in the early stages of building. Unfortunately, those that had finished the job were either not at home of hunkered down in their nests so that I could not see them from my earthly perch on the ground.

The hydrangeas were also in bloom, so a few pictures were in order as I headed back for some warmth. Of course, the view from Stanley Park across the harbor (harbour in Canada) to the still snow-capped mountains of the Coastal Range is always beautiful and a treat to capture "on film."

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them while freezing-to-death on this beautiful, but nippy May day in Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.