Not far from us is the Lake Renwick Preserve, home to cormorants, egrets, herons, pelicans and more. During the breeding season, March 1 through mid-August, the preserve is only open for public programs and guided bird viewing so as not to interrupt or bother the birds. On a nice day, it’s a lovely walk. This day was several summers ago, but worth a revisit!
Tree swallow seems like a rather colorless name for this bright beauty.
The main nesting area looks more than a bit like something from “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
This grey catbird had a mouthful.
No fish is safe when these American Coots are around.
A wonderful bird is the pelican
His bill can hold more than his belican
He can take in his beak
Food enough for a week
But I’m damned if I see how the helican
~Dixon Lanier Merritt
But there are more than just birds, so be careful where you walk.
When the sun comes out, so do the turtles.
This, that and the other thing 
Lovely walk. Is it warm enough already for snakes, or is that a photo from another season? I feel so out of touch with the weather, but will soon be back in tune. Heading home this weekend.
Still winter here. This is from a few summers ago. Enjoy the rest of your time and safe travels home.
Oh I love to go along on someone else’s walk. Thanks for the photos. I like the last one with that turtle fellow. He’s a cutie.
Once I get the post linked with Jo’s post, you can go see more walks if you like. 😉 Thanks for coming along with me.
What a pleasant walk, Janet. Thank you for taking us there. Love these bird photos! 🙂
Thanks for coming along, Amy. This is quite an interesting place.
All this, and one of my mother’s favorite poems, too. Happy day!
That’s a fun poem, Marian, along with “Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is.” 🙂
The birds are on the wing – flocks overhead almost every afternoon now looking for wet lands to settle down in for the night.
How lucky you are to be close to a preserved.
Great pictures
It was a wonderful experience. The Chicago metropolitan area and our county in particular have fantastic parks and preserves. I think it makes such a difference to quality of life!
Such beautiful birds! I wish I could capture wildlife with even a 1/4 of as much skill as you. I just have no finesse on my approach and scare everything within a 1-mile radius away.
These were far enough away that they didn’t seem to mind the people. A telephoto lens helps, too. But I can’t cook like you, so we have to each enjoy our talents. 🙂
What a great walk, and birdy day with the bonus snake, and the turtle!
Do you commonly call those water birds Cormorants? We call them American Coots here.
A friend was just telling me a story about White Pelicans and Commorants. It seems the White Pelicans where she lives have discovered it’s easier to steal the fish that Commonrants catch than it is to herd and catch their own! I’ve never seen them do it, but I believe her. 😀
You know, I just looked up the difference and I think you’re right. These are American Coots. What I see at the park are cormorants, which don’t have the white beak. Thanks, Deborah.
That pelican seems to have the right idea for fast food. 🙂
Love those little ducklings! I’m glad they have guided walks as so to protect the birds.
Yes, that protection is great. Those are actually goslings, not ducklings, but they are cute, much cuter than when they become full grown geese!
Worn out from the Carnival, and I wasn’t even taking part, Janet. 🙂 🙂 Nice to sit peacefully and look at your lovely birds. Thanks, hon- have a great week!
Well, I hope you had something nice to eat. I’m sure the carnival was a lot of fun. Today you didn’t even have to worry about keeping warm when you came to visit. LOL. You have a good week, too.
Lovely walk Janet. Thanks so much for sharing it.
I wish you could actually have been there. It was really great. A bigger telephoto lens for me would have been great, like the ones everyone around me had, but it was still a marvelous experience. Glad you could come along. I’m having tea if you want to stop by.
I wish I could too. An invitation to tea — count me in!! Though if you wait a few hours I can bring fresh bread. At the moment the dough is still at the bulk proving stage.
I can always wait for fresh bread, although not always easy when it smells so good long before being ready!
Soul sisters!
🙂 Sometimes my mouth is watering so much that I have to have a bite of bread immediately, before putting anything on it.
Good bread doesn’t need any toppings. Though nice butter helps, and maybe a smear of home-made jam … 🙂
Or some good honey. 😊
Oh yes!!
Like the birds and the poem, but I did skip quickly over the snake. 🙂
Fortunately it was off to the side, but I know that feeling. 🙂
A lovely looking, peaceful stroll. You’re going to miss this scenery in Arizona.
There will be new, beautiful scenery, but yes, I’ll miss this area and the Midwest a lot.
janet
That was a beautiful walk. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Happy you could come along, Dan. It’s a special place.
Lovely to tag along with you again on today’s walk, thanks Janet!
I always enjoy having you come along, especially as I’ve enjoyed so many trips with you.
Ohh, I love those ducklings who are escorting the turtle. What kind of ducklings are they?
They’re actually goslings, Resa. Baby geese are cute at this time of their lives, like these, but not as adorable when full-grown pooping geese as opposed to ducks which stay more or less cute. 🙂 Ducks also don’t try to attack you when they have young ones around.
Lol! I’m quite good at identifying wildlife, not!
Poop, that’s easy. 😀
Geese are poop machines of the highest order, but I guess everyone/thing has to be good at something. 🙂
LOL!
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