Things were still quite quiet around the Lake , but birders were starting to appear in number looking for warblers.
Not that Mud Lake has many spring flowers, but the scilla, an invasive domestic plant, was starting to bloom.
Pussy willows were in bud, maple trees in bloom
Shrubs were also showing growth. First two are from the same unidentified shrub, the third is elderberry
A flock of bohemian waxwings put in an appearance. They don't stay in one place more than 5 or so seconds
A nearby song sparrow was in fine tune
Two double crested cormorant were in a side pond. The crest shows more at this time of year. Breeding sign?
The wings on a cormorant don't have much lift, so it takes a good run and effort to get in the air. No video, so a few sequential shots.
To be an owl, or not to be an owl??
The day most of the photos were taken, I saw something way up in a tree that looked it might be a bird, I took a shot, but didn't look further. When I got home and looked closely at the photo, I decided it was an owl. So I went back the next day, and looked much more closely.... Nope not an owl, but part of the tree where the large branch broke off
A cottontail rabbit was nibbling on the grass on a side trail
A pine tree that was very much alive, had been attacked by woodpeckers
A scene I walk by every time I am at Mud Lake, but never noticed before. Many years ago a tree branch had fallen into the crook of another tree. The fallen branch still being in the air is not rotting as quickly as had it been on the ground. The tree it fell into is growing around it
I didn't expect to be back at Mud Lake before the end of the month, but we found time one warm morning. It was very quiet. The chickadees weren't looking for handouts as they were eating fresh buds.
I did have a red-winged blackbird land on my hat, but couldn't get the cellphone out in time for a selfie!
The painted turtles were up basking in the warm sunlight
One turtle was being visited by a sandpiper
With the hens on nest, the male ducks were busy chatting and eating or just swimming about. The ganders will help with the young goslings, but mum wood duck, and mallard, will be on their own with their broods.
One gander was playing "king of the castle" while a hen was busy arranging her nest
There were at least two black-crowned night herons, but they were usually behind brush. However one sat up on top of a branch for me....
A few turkeys were walking the trails, which likely means a few hens were off sitting on their eggs.
Even the chipmunks weren't looking for handouts
As mentioned at the top, Mud Lake doesn't have many wildflowers, but I spotted some bloodroot blooms. They seemed well established so I just missed them in prior years. Their name comes from the red juice in their stems.
The boxelders were full "bloom"
