Banner day for Little Silver and Swans

This morning as we were taking our early morning inventory of the lake, we noticed quite a few birds behind the band shell across the lake.  With binoculars we decided that they were Great Blue Heron.   10 of them to be exact.  Just sitting resting in the early morning light.  We were able to capture these pictures before we scared them off .  It was a beautiful and unusual sight.

 But the wonder of the day was not over, we took a trip to Brigantine and when we returned the swans were dipping their heads - and they did the post coital pose and we had the camera in hand!  This is probably the best "swan heart" we will ever get!

Dream Pictures

We dream of pictures that we would like to take .  Sometimes the dream picture comes along and the camera is all zipped up in the bag with the wrong lens on.  Sometimes the battery is dead.  Sometimes the light just isn't there.  Sometimes the angle is wrong or the focus is not right.  This time of year is most frustrating.  The swans are nesting and mating.  In their post coital bliss they do the most beautiful move ever seen in birding.  They make swan heart you see in silhouette sometimes.  The problem for the photographer is that the whole act, beginning to beautiful swan heart lasts only a few short seconds.  They begin with some premating head dipping, mate and  make the heart before you can turn on the camera.  Today the camera in hand taking pictures of a ruddy duck in the lake, I turned to see the swans dipping... I was ready.   And it happened..  but alas the angle was wrong.  Even so, I have to share my near success.  Still dreaming.

From Our Kitchen Window

Sometimes we just stare out of our kitchen window and watch to see what is happening on Little Silver Lake.  Today, a splash down while we were watching proved to be an American Bittern.  He stayed just long enough for us to get a couple pictures and then moved on or went into the reeds to hide.  . 

Ducks in our own Backyard

The Bufflehead ducks never cease to amaze us.  These shy little divers were right off of our back yard this morning putting on a beautiful display.  When you first look at them you see only black and white but in the right light their heads become irridescent and take on shades of purple, brown and green.  Such an enthusiastic display can only make one smile and savor this wonderful earth that we have the privelege to live in.