I stopped by Lake Morton last weekend, not sure what I’d find but happy to be out with the camera again. A local photographer pointed out an otter and said the day was kind of slow. The wind was picking up as a cold front moved through, so the birds were hunkered down at the sides of the lake. It was a good morning for a walk and head shots!

The Mute Swans were sleeping in that morning. They floated lazily near the lake shore, pausing to squint at me and ask what I was doing awake so early. Sometimes birds ask very intelligent questions!

A trio of Limpkins was hanging out near the water’s edge. They are very tame at this location, so they didn’t object when I squatted down to eye level for some head shots. The pale backdrop of bright morning light was beautiful.

Nearby a Great Blue Heron was contemplating the dawn. He’s getting his blue lore that is part of his breeding plumage. So is the snazzy plume behind his head. Pretty soon he’ll be thinking about building a nest but today he was focused on staring off into space.

This grackle cracked me up. He hopped to a rock on the edge of the lake to investigate a small apple snail egg, probably left there by one of the Limpkins. The grackle was curious and poked it several times before lifting it triumphantly with his beak. He seemed to be showing me his prize. Simple little images like this were always the best to share with my mom.

I continued my walk around the lake. In the early morning, it’s a fun mix of light and shadow, reflection and muted color. This Ring-billed Gull was standing on a small wall and was only slightly dubious of the large human with giant cylinder pointed right at him. If he only knew that the large human was thinking, “what a pretty muted blue background!”

The lake is a great place for wintering ducks and this morning was no exception. I found Ring-necked, Ruddy, and the normal mixture of Mallards and Mottleds. I didn’t see the wintering Redhead though. Then I had to laugh when I saw the feeding party near the swan feeder. The swan’s neck was long enough to reach the food, and a little spilled out each time she ate. The ducks gathered nearby and quickly dove to grab the food. That’s when I realized we had a few Lesser Scaups in the party, too.

I did several laps around the lake, enjoying the breeze and the fresh air. As I started to leave, this Mute Swan stopped to pose for me, reminding me that nesting season is just right around the corner. “Come back soon!”