CIMPLE – A Curious Introvert's Musings & Photos about Life and Enjoyment

When I headed out with my camera in the kayak the winds were relatively calm.  Within ten minutes it changed very quickly and I found myself paddling against the wind and through the waves. Thankfully I had left Gabby at home and brought along a towel to protect the camera from the waves crashing over the kayak.

At times I thought the ducks were laughing at my paddling attempts.

At other moments the timing of shots was difficult with the kayak and ducks bobbing in the water, but after many blurry shots I was able to capture this bufflehead before he flew away.

While it took some effort to fight against floating back to shore and to cross the lake, this swan was more than happy to exhibit how quickly he could run on water and reach the middle of the lake.

Another thing I realized, was that in addition to the difficulties focusing on the wildlife while bouncing in the kayak was that the lack of practice over the winter with my Tamron 200-500mm lens had caused my timing to be off on many shots.

The ducks are always the quickest to fly away when they see the kayak, but after watching my rocky approach this ring-necked duck had no interest in leaving shore for the water.

This red-winged blackbird was also bouncing around in the wind, but because he was in the midst of singing to a love interest he stayed long enough for me to finally capture a few shots in focus.

I had a brief respite in a windless cove where this fellow was busy watching his mate’s nest while fluffing his feathers.

As I was bringing the kayak out of the water, I was greeted with this mallard that was smart enough to stay out of the water until the wind died down.