Two household chores – last weekend we cleared brush at the lake’s edge to improve our view, and yesterday Laura washed the picture windows at the back of our house. Those two items contributed to a fantastic wildlife show this morning.
I got up just as light was breaking over the lake. There was frost on the grassland area, and I could see ducks out on the lake. I grabbed my camera, the Celestron C90 telescope, and tried to catch some images. My first target turned out to be a young hawk sitting in a tree overlooking the lake. He/She moved, and actually sat on the ground for awhile – very unusual.
I then turned my attention to the ducks. I can tell it’s getting close to winter when the merganzers arrive. They put on an incredible display this morning, flapping and preening with their brilliant white crests in full display. Even the more muted females were beautiful with iridescent brown crests. A flock of mallards seemed to follow the merganzers, but there seemed to be enough food for everyone.
As the sun rose, our local heron made his appearance, wading on the edge of our yard. Even bluebirds and squirrels joined the party. A good time was had by all.
I think the most amazing thing is that every one of these photos was taken within the comfort of my living room, looking out over our back yard.
