A Little Lake

There is a small lake in Atascadero that is a great place for a walk this time of year.   When it's dry, the lake looks like a mud flat.   When we're having rain, it draws several types of birds and ducks and people with cameras.   I've been told there are one or two eagle pairs living nearby and they can sometimes be seen in the tall trees, no doubt looking or a meal.   There are always/usually a couple photographers with 3 foot long lenses capturing the lake visitors in a very close-up way.   For me, because I like to walk around the lake, I like having my phone or new camera with me.  

I'm not a bonafide bird watcher by any stretch of the imagination, but I do enjoy spotting new or pretty ones and trying to capture them with my lens.   While walking around the lake the other day, I noticed this one sleeping in a tree.   I'd never seen one like it and wasn't sure what it was.   As I came around the north side of the lake, I spotted him (or her, or his/her twin) standing down by the water.   After watching it for a while and grabbing photos, I still had no idea other than to think it looked like a heron.   I decided perhaps it was a juvenile GBH and I'd just never seen one before.   Maybe it was going to grow taller and change color as it aged?   

After looking at several photos online, I decided it must be a juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron.   This was a first for me as I'd never seen one around here or over at the coast where most of the shorebirds live.   See him peeking out from behind the duck?   He saw the other water fowl running onto shore looking for food from a lady and her children, so he just tagged right along.   Other than that he just stayed by himself.   

One little lake in the middle of town can have so much beauty and life as long as the rains come and provide.   This year is making everyone happy and not only providing for the water fowl but for people like me with a camera looking for inspiration.