Must be springtime

It must really be springtime now.  Not just because of all the green coloring added to the world, not just because of consistent temps in the 60's, not just because it doesn't get dark before 5:00 PM. I know it is now, truly, springtime because the herons that I chase around the northwest suburbs are now leaving there nests for their old hangouts; the ponds, creeks, streams, rivers, forest preserves, water retention ponds. etc.  It amazes me how in the 20+ years I've lived here, never once did I see a heron.  But since I got my camera and started looking for things to photograph and put my focus on landscapes about a 1/2 years ago, I've spent alot of time in forest preserves and on country roads and I've gotten to the point of hardly going a day in spring, summer, and fall without seeing at least one. This shot isn't the best shot I've ever taken of one, but its the first one I didn't scare away this spring due to being surprised that it was there in the first place.  I've come up on several of them, but they've caught me and scattered before I caught them.  Beautiful creatures.