This morning my little poodle decided to take me for a walk in the neighboring nature reserve. The weather was gorgeous, crisp and sunny. We took the birding trail close to the marsh to see if we could spot any birds on our way to the beach.

As my companion went about his business, I spotted a huge blue heron on a tiny “island” next to the trail.

It was calmly inspecting the waters for something to eat for breakfast and did not care about us walking close by.

Soon we spotted a smaller crane bird in the water very close to the trail. And further back, on the other side of the marsh, there were two white herons enjoying themselves in the morning sun.

The bird trail leads right onto the beach and there we spotted another blue heron seemingly contemplating a fishing trip in the ocean.

And of course we spotted many sea gulls and pelicans on the beach as well. They seemed to have found a shoal of small fish and were having a free Sunday brunch!

This little Sunday morning stroll suddenly turned into a bird watching walk and I wished I would have taken my better camera gear instead of just carrying my iPhone, a bottle of water and a doggy bag.

Life can be full of pleasant surprises, sometimes just a block away from home!