Stow Lake and Strybing

A walk in the rain around Stow Lake. A Pied-billed Grebe led me towards the thickets over the waterline near the boathouse. Once there, it called mellifluously to its partner who was busy rearranging leaves and sticks as if building a nest. Wanting to get a better photo, I entered the thicket carefully, so as not to disturb them, and found myself eye to eye with a Varied Thrush. It made its way across the road to the Eucalyptus grove and vanished with a blur. The Glaucous-winged Gull was happily preening on a paddle-boat. Other interesting birds were a Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Downy Woodpecker. Strybing Arboretum was lively, but most of that was due to foraging squirrels.

Attempting macro shots with a telephoto lens.

The Grebe appears.

The couple call to one another as they seem to engage in nest building.

The Varied Thrush departs.

Wary but calm enough for a picture.

Glaucous-winged Gull series.