Pics of the day

The chicks have hatched ... more under 'Swans galore' post. A great blue heron (below), fishing for lunch. Not to be confused with the grey heron, which is slightly smaller and has more white in its plumage.

This lone great blue heron was captured in the River Nagold in Pforzheim.

Difficult to see and easily missed with the naked eye. The photo was taken in the shadows which meant that an ISO over 1000 was needed with the 270mm lens, so the quality is not that great.

A swan takes off in dramatic style.