Last spring when we moved here and started going to the lake, we discovered a beaver lodge.  The park ranger told us that there was a family of beavers there, but you had to go really early to see them.  We never went really early.  We never saw them.  I thought I saw them a couple of times, but it turns out that it was nutria instead.  Well, a couple of weeks ago, John and I got up at 5:15am and hiked on down to the beaver lodge.  We saw one!!!  He didn't get out of the water, but at least we saw him.  I for sure will be getting up again to try and catch him out of the water. 

On one of my walks to the lake, I spotted a Bald Eagle!  I was so excited and pretty happy that my photo showed what it was.  It isn't a very good photo, but at least you can see it has a white head.

 Well, the next day, there was this huge bird sitting on a sign by the lake. (Read what the sign says.) John was with me that day and we both thought it was a hawk.  I posted a photo of it on my Flickr site and was informed by one of my photo friends, that it was not a hawk, but a juvenile Bald Eagle!  That made perfect sense because this guy let me get so close to it, not afraid at all.  I have seen hawks before and felt like this one was extra big, so knowing it was an eagle made the size understandable.  It was about as big as Arianna.

And here he was another day.

 Well, that day seeing the parent Bald Eagle challenged me to figure out how to get moving birds in a photo.  I studied up camera settings and have spent the last week going back and forth to the lake to practice what I have been reading.  I can see a difference, but I know I have a lot to learn still.  And maybe a new lens would help too, right?  

 The shot below was one of the shots that has really pushed me to figure out how to capture their motion.  Now wouldn't that have been so awesome to have had it in focus?

The following three shots were a little better the next day.  

So here are a few more shots of what I see when I go for my walks.  

 A turtle, mother duck and two babies enjoy the sun on a log.

 The raccoons have come out of hibernation.  I haven't seen the skunks this year yet.

 The canoes are about to go afloat.

 I was as excited to spot this Kingfisher as I was to see the Bald Eagles.  I didn't even know they were around here.  I have never seen one before.

 So, did you ever see a duck family in a tree before?  Me neither!

 Across the lake at one of the homes.

The ranger told me that the eagles leave as soon as the osprey show up.  The showed up at the end of last week.  I have not seen the eagles all week. 

 This little chickadee had a worm and was just sitting there with it.

 I tried out my new found love of shooting birds in motion.  

I know it happens, but it is sad to see how nature works sometimes.  Here is a duck family I have been following from birth...8 babies at first..then down to only 2, I was so sad...the very next day...only 1!!!  the last two times I was there...it was all alone.  I have no idea where its parents were. 

 There are baby geese and ducks in all stages.   

 I have watched one family of geese from the first until now they are almost full grown.  Right now they are at that really awkward teenage stage...almost adult, but still baby.  Here are some collages of them young and now.

check out the one in the background...lol

 I know the photo below is not in focus, they were both moving so fast, but the look on the little guy behind is just so hilarious to me....it is like he is hamming it up for the camera.