Life at Boomer Lake with Deb, Sunday January 13, 2013

Boomer Lake never ceases to amaze me with all its surprises, no matter what time of year. This week, I was graced with the presence of a lone Great White Pelican again. Evidently, this bird wants to be here, and just isn’t ready to leave. I got some fantastic shots that one just won’t see every day with this bird, so it worked out very well for me.

Today was as cold as it could possibly be at 21 degrees F, and I was out there for about ten minutes once I reached the lake. When I got one hand out of that nice warm glove and felt that wind chill of 10 degrees, I wasn’t there long. It was rather frightening to experience that kind of cold for too long on bare fingers. Unfortunately, if I want pictures, it takes a little while to try to zoom in and get those shots. I managed to get a couple, but no more. My plan is to be in action again tomorrow afternoon.

The Canada Geese and Mallards are out in full force, and the singles are choosing mates. Goose Island is once again coming to life. Isn’t it surprising how some birds are getting ready in the dead of winter when nature calls for them to do so? Even with those cold breezes blowing and the ice upon the lake that tinkles when it is broken, it means something to some animals when their biological clocks are activated. They have nothing to do with that decision.

There are two Great Blue Herons that are still on Boomer Lake, so it looks like they just might plan to be here for the duration of the winter. I caught this male showing a bit of his mating crest, but you just never know in these times. A couple of afternoons ago, it was close to 70 degrees F here, so the birds could be just as confused as anyone else. We shall see what nature intends for us.

I have a couple of decent pictures of some Gadwalls that visited the lake. Aren’t these some lovely birds? There was definitely one pair on the lake along with an extra male. There was definitely a mating ritual going on. These ducks spring directly into the air from the water, and they travel pretty much in a straight line. These are gorgeous looking ducks in flight, and I do hope that all of you get to see them.

Yesterday gave us 35 mph winds, and about all that were around were the Canada Geese, as well as the female Belted Kingfisher. This is an amazing little bird that is very good at hovering in the air and can quickly hit the water and pick up a small fish if one happens to be close to the surface. I’m hoping to get a better camera sometime in the near future, and nothing would please me more than to be able to get shots like that for you.

This about wraps up my report for you this week. Keep your head in the clouds and your eyes on the ground. Happy birding!