Yellow Headed Blackbirds

Male yellowheaded blackbird plus reflection.

Singing in the cattails.

Caught this one spreading his wings.

Aren't they beautiful birds?

After the "active me" won a mental tussle with the "lazy me" who wanted to be a coach potato (again), I took my kayak out for the first time this year.  I guess I hesitated because I wasn't sure I could get out of the kayak with my new hip.  Since I am able to get up off the floor, I thought at the very least I could roll out of the kayak, kneel on the lake bottom and get up that way.  In any case I'm glad I went.  I decided on Round Lake because I love the yellow headed blackbirds there.  Coon Lake is also close and has a much nicer landing area.  Coon Lake landing is sandy.  Round Lake is silty with a green muck floating on the surface. My flip flop got stuck in the muck and I put my foot down hard and ended up with green muck all over my legs and even on the back of my shorts and shirt.  Except for the entrance and exit, I prefer Round Lake over Coon Lake.  Round Lake has virtually no boat traffic and many fewer houses.  Round Lake has cooperative yellow headed blackbirds who let me get nice and close to take their photo.  Round Lake also had red winged blackbirds and a loon and a family of trumpeter swans.  I saw the swans on the nest.  The swans saw me too and started swimming to the north to draw my attention away from the nest.  I veered south to avoid disturbing them and they veered south to stay between me and their nest.  Yikes.  I do not want to be chased by the birds with the largest wingspan on our continent. I was no where near them but I did disturb them a little bit.  As I was resting on the water taking photos of yellow headed blackbirds, a muskrat swam by right in front of my kayak. Right in front of me it swam!   As soon as it saw me watching it with my mouth hanging open it got shy and ducked under the water. The white and yellow water lilies had buds but no blooms yet. I heard green frogs and tree frogs.  I heard a turkey gobble and I heard pheasants squawk.  I saw some kind of turtle surface and it's back was bumpy instead of smooth.  I saw thousands of dragonflys and some of them had white faces.  I heard some other birds but could not identify what they were.    And on top of all that noise I heard the constant hum of traffic on County Road 9.  When the sun started to sink it was time to paddle back to shore.  I was able to get out of the kayak with little trouble so I was glad I gave it a try.