Spring Lake December 10, 2018
The day called for a short afternoon paddle on Spring Lake as late fall fades to winter.
No other boats were out, so the lake seemed wilder and more natural than it does on a warm summer weekend when recreational users abound.
A Great Blue Heron posed on the eastern shore.
About a dozen Bufflehead Ducks—all males—scattered themselves about the lake.
Perhaps Spring Lake is a home to unpaired males.
A pair of Mute Swans are often on hand at the lake. They hang out in the northern end of the lake where the shore is lined with a nearly impenetrable thicket of cattails. These reeds offer some insulation from human interference.
Mute Swans, introduced from Europe, are unafraid of proximity to humans.
Green Herons, on the other hand, are easily spooked. They're solitary by nature and often hide themselves in the shoreline vegetation. By freezing in place, they hope to escape the notice of passersby. But once they feel seen, they'll take flight.
This fellow perched himself on a log o…
No other boats were out, so the lake seemed wilder and more natural than it does on a warm summer weekend when recreational users abound.
A Great Blue Heron posed on the eastern shore.
About a dozen Bufflehead Ducks—all males—scattered themselves about the lake.
Perhaps Spring Lake is a home to unpaired males.
A pair of Mute Swans are often on hand at the lake. They hang out in the northern end of the lake where the shore is lined with a nearly impenetrable thicket of cattails. These reeds offer some insulation from human interference.
Mute Swans, introduced from Europe, are unafraid of proximity to humans.
Green Herons, on the other hand, are easily spooked. They're solitary by nature and often hide themselves in the shoreline vegetation. By freezing in place, they hope to escape the notice of passersby. But once they feel seen, they'll take flight.
This fellow perched himself on a log o…
