Talking Waters

 My husband and I have discovered a new favorite place to walk and look for birds. It is called "Talking Waters" and it is located in Albany, Oregon. The city created several ponds for natural water treatment. It seems to be a success, and it has been done in a very aesthetic way. We especially enjoy the green herons that can be seen there. There is one hiding in the reeds in the picture above.

 This is an example of how beautiful the area is.

 An orange dragonfly held still long enough for a picture!

 I love this lacy weed in contrast with the dark, velvety cattail.

 Our neighbors are the ones who introduced us to Talking Waters.

 Yarrow

 This turtle is about 10 inches long

 There are many ducks in these ponds

 Can you find the green heron in the reeds?

 This green heron is perched by a tri-color blackbird. This gives an idea of its size. It is not a very large heron.

 Here is another picture of the same heron near a duck.

 The heron is watching the duck :-).

 Blue dragon fly

 A sparrow with a moth

 I took my daughter Anne to enjoy Talking Waters as well.

 A frog in the midst of algae

 Can you see the eyeballs?

 This purple flowering plant has the most beautiful berries!

 This swamp plant is also quite beautiful.

 Another green heron

 A tiny turtle perched on a rock

 We watched this green heron fish for a while.

 Anne captured this picture with my lens. The heron knew we were nearby!

 Fishing

 He found some tasty little tidbit!

 I would imagine this is the same turtle I posted above, only this day its pond was filled with algae.

 The green herons like to perch on the top of the dry reeds.

The ducks are obvious, but can you find the turtle and the green heron? This really is a delightful place to visit!