Afternoon light at the lake

Today we felt like taking a late afternoon walk to Playford Lake in the Belair National Park. It is a noted bird sanctuary. The trees were alive with birds, mostly too high up to see but lovely to listen to. I decided to stick with a mid-range zoom this time as Paladian wanted to keep my long zoom on her camera today!

The birds by the lake were a hoot. Most were getting ready to roost, but as soon as we turned up with bread, we came under siege. We even saw a pair of Ibis, the wood ducks of course (26th January), noisy miner birds (2nd November), crows, little ravens, magpies and more.

One of our favorites is an Indian Runner duck - obviously an escapee from somewhere, but he has a mate, and seems to be very happy in his new life. This duck is so friendly, he practically climbs on your knees to get his bread, or nips your fingers to grab hold of a piece of bread!

The light was extraordinary, a warm golden glow, although it was too early for the real golden hour. I practiced with my new camera, and I am very happy with its performance so far. The shot I liked best was framed by a branch of an old gum tree, with a few ducks in the foreground and the small jetty in the distance. Seen better in LARGE.

You can see my previous blip, 26th December, of the piles near this jetty from a different angle. I am looking forward to tomorrow's blip already! My second day with the 5DIII.