A Beautiful September Day

It was one of those spectacular September days that make one disregard the knowledge that the changing colors are a harbinger of colder days to come.  After the sun chased the rising vapors off the water and partially warmed the crisp morning air, it was time for paddling.

I think this gent found me rude,
since my launch disturbed his peace.

The trees in the swamps always change first.

Lots of reds.  Not many yellows yet.

Rock with bigger rock in the background.

The dragonflies also enjoyed the fine day,
and were out in force.
If you look closely, you can see a light-colored blob of pixels above the heron
that you can pretend is a dragonfly.

The heron flew away, but I caught up with him later.

Others in funny boats were also about.

As I paddled, I noticed a fluttering atop the water.  Closer inspection revealed a large dragonfly, upside-down and desperately trying to get airborne.  How he got into the predicament is beyond me.

I scooped him up on my paddle and deposited him on the bow of my kayak, but the wind was too strong, and he was back in the water again.

Not doing so well.

I scooped him with the paddle a second time, but deposited him into my hand.  Maybe I scared him into leaping into the air.  He soared up into the neighboring treetops.  I wonder if I now have a place in dragonfly mythology.

Heron rediscovery in the not-too-distant shallows.

"You talkin' to me?"

I'm thinking that a heron never has both eyes on anything.

It's not all wild going upstream.
This guy used sound waves to protect his turf when I got too close for his liking.

And he had a wookie for backup.

Then a pair of loons provided entertainment.
This one has quite a bit of white showing on the head.
Old age?

Is that a green foot?

And is that a feather in his beak?

Much less white on this one's head, and the beak appears shorter.
Perhaps younger?
Or maybe it's the male, with less gray or white due to less childrearing responsibility.

The zebra-striped "necklace" is quite pronounced.  I wonder if each loon's necklace, like human fingerprints, are unique.  I will believe so until proven otherwise (see the other loon above).

The loon show was over, I headed back to begin the less exiting portion of the day.  High overhead, an eagle flew by in the "pointless to attempt photography" zone.  But his appearance finished off the adventure nicely.

I'll allow myself the delusion that this glorious weather will last forever.  Until it doesn't.

Much Better When You Stop

There are places we drive past again and again that pique our interest.  "Someday I'll check it out," we say, and never do.  

Not so, this fine Monday.  A trip to the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge was the order of the day.  The destination, even.  Not just a hurried stop along the way.  Finally, I'd be able to find out everything about those halls I've heard so much about.

But first, the swamp.

Not a bright sunny day, but not bad for early April
in Upstate New York.

Occasionally the sun would pop out and illuminate the cat-tails.
I think the volunteers keep the invasive phragmites under control.
Otherwise there would be no view beyond those lofty plants.
I'm pretty sure they take their name from a tribe of tall evil invaders
in the Bible's book of Hydroponicus.

And it would be a shame not to be able to see the ducks.

Lots of them, and lots of different kinds.
They seem to enjoy swimming.

We can cross the Goldeneye Duck off our "to be seen" list.
I wonder why they're called that.

The Mrs. and Mr., I believe.

The bufleheads were also in residence.

A buck for each duck fills a truck.

Such diversity so close to the NY State Thruway.
Seems like maybe we've done something right here,
even though the proximity must take its toll.

Taking off!

Love the splashes as they run along the water.

Also nice to see them fly.

Pony tails are in.

I love to watch these prehistoric-looking herons fly.
Very purposeful and graceful.

The tree holds court over the canal beyond the swamp.

Black ducks with a white bill?
No, these are coots!
I've been called one many times, and now I know why.
They're elegant and lovely!

Dad focusses on Mom with gosling.

A different duo drips after dunking.

Incoming and...

Splashdown.

After visiting Montezuma proper,
we went on a wild goose chase to find the sandhill cranes,
but only saw a few hawks and this killdeer.
I was convinced he only had one leg until he took off showing both.

The refuge claims 3 nesting pairs of eagles within the confines,
but we only saw this scary replica.
I would not want to meet an eagle this size, regardless of national symbolism.

All in all, a fine day at the edge of the swamp.  But we didn't see any halls during the entire escapade.  We'll have to go back and search again.

Visiting Friends at the Camp

After a number of cold and rainy days, one is doubly thankful to be at the Camp in the Adirondacks.  It's always great to be there, and even better when it is a calm and sunny day.

A fabulous day to follow Mary...

...across the calm waters of Lily Lake.

We visited, but the beavers were not home.

In fact, it looked like humans had breached their dam.

This guy posed.
I was surprised at how close he let me come.

"Did you get my profile?"
His feathers look a bit shaggy.

"That's enough.  Good bye!"

It could be that I was able to get close because he didn't hear me.
I wonder if he is old and has heron loss.

Mama and baby were in the big lake.
Loon-like markings are beginning to show on baby's back.

"Let's go that way, Mom."

Mama knows better.

And she looks every bit as lovely as before junior came along.

We paddled back through the weeds.

The occasional puffy clouds were quite welcome.
It got quite hot in the unbroken sun.

I sat and watched this tiny spider weave a web.
Amazing energy and technique.

Stretching one line to properly position the next.

Both engineering and artistry.

On her way to a meal on my arm,
the mosquito became entangled.
I did not shed a tear.

As the day wound down, other kayakers paddled toward the setting sun.