Paddling the Little Otter

I put in at the South Slang and decided to paddle up into Little Otter Creek.  The South Slang is now full of white water lilies.

The blue heron are everywhere.

The osprey were high overhead, looking for fish.

As I paddled up the Little Otter, there were more blue heron.

There they are.  I had seen white egret earlier in the week.  They are common, but more shy than the blue heron.

As soon as I would get close enough to get a reasonable photo, the egrets would fly away!

There were several beaver lodges in the Little Otter.  This one was a large 'bank beaver' lodge, built into the bank of the river.

Cormorants were about . . .

Though not as common as the white water lilies, there were a few places of yellow water lilies.

Autumn is not far off.  Some of the swamp maples are already changing.

After a few miles, the Little Otter narrows and becomes a small rocky stream.

There were several groups of mallards about . . .

. . . and more egrets!

By the late afternoon, the afternoon clouds had formed.  

Autumn is not far off.  Many of the birds I saw in the spring have already departed.  Soon, the heron and egrets will leave.