Saturday, December 31, 2022

Saturday Critters #472

 We took a ride around Lake of the Lilies...
the wildlife are in quite the "pickle" trying the escape the ice and find water.
Most of the lake is frozen, with only a few small "puddles" for them to bathe and frolic.


There must be one large strip of water right in the center...


best I could tell, the geese and gulls have first dibs here.



There is one very small thawed area on the shoreline...gulls, geese and a hand-full of ducks were there.



The best sighting of the day was this Great Blue Heron.



And the smartest water foul of all, the Coots.
Out of that freezing water there are probably about 30 Coots here right now.


There are still electronic signs posted at the lake,
 warning that the waterfowl are dying due to avian/bird flu.
Over 30 Swans, 1 Goose and 1 Duck have died due to the flu.

Sharing today's images with Eileen at 
for Saturday Critters

12 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Hello,
Your outing to the lake was fun. I am glad there was some water left for the birds and not all was frozen. Great shots of the Geese, gulls, ducks and the GB Heron. It has been awhile since I have seen a Coot, they are cute. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. I wish you and yours all the best in 2023, a happy and healthy New Year! PS, thank you for all your comments and links this past year.

RedPat said...

Everyone seemed to be getting along in a small open space. Have a Happy New Year.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I hate to hear they are still dying. That is so sad. Glad you got out and saw some and got so many great photos to share. Looks COLD!!! Happy New year sweet friend! Hugs, Diane

Angie said...

Debbie - so tragic to hear about the deaths from avian flu. Your photos are terrific. 99% of our lake is frozen, but in one of the open spots, I can see that a raptor has been fishing - the snow is disturbed and there are flecks of blood in the snow ... when I walked past yesterday, I could see about three 12-inch fish swimming around ... they should stay hidden under the ice if they want to make it through the winter! Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Marie Smith said...

Love the blue! Great photos, as usual, Debbie! Happy New Year, my friend.

Lowcarb team member said...

Always lovely to see your photographs.
Wishing you a Happy 2023.

All the best Jan

The Furry Gnome said...

That's a lot of birds! They had to kill off a lot of birds in a park near here because of bird flu. Happy New Year Debbie!

DeniseinVA said...

Happy New Year Debbie. These are great photos but then I read about the bird flu. That's so sad! I hope this gets contained soon for everyone's sake.

Conniecrafter said...

yes you can usually tell the parts of the lakes that must have melted a bit when all the birds are there. You got some great pictures, we were out today but my lens wasn't long enough to get good pics of the birds we saw. So sad that the bird flu is going through them!

DrumMajor said...

It's pretty even if the birds are having to find their water with some difficulty. Did you read the national news article about the snowed-in New York folks finding birds stuck in the ice?: on their backs peering up, with tail or legs frozen? They dug many out and warmed them up, or used warm salt water to get them out. That's too cold too fast. Linda in Kansas

Sally said...

I think you and Chuck live in the most interesting and beautiful place I've ever seen. Your photographs belong in a book. I love it.

LeAnn said...

I loved all of the photos of birds that you took. You could write a story on this one. I'm sad that the Avian/bird flu is taking some of the waterfowl. Losing swans and other birds is heartbreaking. We have Goose and Duck in the canal near us, and sometimes, they come into our yard.
We have enjoyed our small bird feeder for the last two years, and it's because of your posts on birds.
I like to learn about different birds; much of it has come from your posts. Nature is remarkable, and I love that we are blessed to have various kinds of birds that we can learn about.
Sending hugs!