Almost (A)live

It’s been so long since I’ve been out photographing that I don’t have a single shot from a previous trip left to post. In other words, this is almost live, or, at least, as “live” as I’m ever likely to get. It’s supposed to be another rainy week here, with occasional breaks in the clouds, and that’s definitely what I got yesterday. Still, after a week fighting the “flu,” it felt glorious to get outside.

Even the high water took on the subtle browns that dominate our winter landscape, providing camouflage for hundreds of Northern Pintails.

Female Bufflehead paddled the flooded wetlands,

while a small flock of Green Winged Teal

waddled through the mud and shallow waters at the northern end of the wetlands.

For a while it seemed like the only bright spot of the morning would be this single male Common Merganser trolling the far side of the Union River,

until this Great Blue Heron suddenly appeared, stalking toward me, so close not even a layer of fog could dampen his brilliant blues and whites.

Though it was only in retrospect, viewing the shot on my computer, I realized how green the newly emerged reeds looked even though I noticed a lot of leaves emerging throughout my walk, almost as if Winter was going to miss us entirely this year.