I know, where have I been? I was all set to make a trip out on the lake about a month and a half ago when I was alerted to an advisory for a hazardous algae bloom, and while boating was not discouraged, in a small kayak you might as well be in the water. But, with the advisory now lifted, it was time to get back Out There! I just hope none of my wild familiars were harmed by the algae.

Is that a little touch of color in the trees? That might be more due to the dry spells we’ve had than any change of seasons:

I’m not sure who these geese are; they’re definitely not Canada Geese:

This guy passed right near me…

and the encounter ended predictably, for a Beaver:

This Crow was surveying everything from the very tiptop of a lone tree:

It’s the time of year to start seeing Great Egrets. This one found brunch to go:

While this Killdeer pondered the menu in this very productive little end of the lake:

I guess something you just have to stretch your legs on a long flight, even if you’re an Osprey:

This one threw me the first time I saw one. The bird in the foreground is actually a juvenile Little Blue Heron. Notice she doesn’t have the yellow peak of the Great Egret in the background:

And of course, we have to have the obligatory Great Blue Heron picture:

Yup, another one, yawn.

When I got back to the boat ramp, there was a bit of a traffic delay, where these ducks were also using the ramp:

But they moved on and I was able to complete my trip.