Break in the Weather, For Awhile ..

I’m starting to wonder if spring is ever going to arrive here. It was 18° this morning and has finally warmed up to 41° by mid-afternoon. I did get out for several hours to check in on the bird life at one of my favorite spots. If there is anything good to say about the cold weather, it’s probably responsible for some of the migratory birds sticking around longer than normal.

There were a small number of loons on the lake today. This was kind of a rare treat for me. I only recall seeing them here several times before.

I was hiding in some willows waiting on a pair of Buffleheads to swim by and was lucky enough to have this Great Egret fly in and land about 100 feet away from me. I was hesitant to even raise my camera but waited until he looked the other way and captured this picture once he turned back around. I’m amazed by the plumage these birds have during mating season. The camera doesn’t really do it justice.

After the Egret flew off, I move about 1/4 mile to another of my favorite spots. I saw this Great Blue Heron’s head from about 100 yards away and took my time slowly stalking up on him while hiding behind a bank with some tall grass. I didn’t notice the beaver in this shot until after I got home and processed the file. Can you spot it?

The picture below should illustrate part of why Herons and Egrets are my favorite bird species to photograph. It just doesn’t matter whether they are standing still, actively hunting, or in flight. The birds are always interesting to study.

Thanks for visiting, hope you enjoyed.