Birding in Lake Morton

I took up bird watching about a year ago.  I started by watching the birds in my backyard, and progressed from there.  The big impetus, I suppose, was that I got a new camera, and what better way to learn to use it, than to take pictures?  Walter is not always available to be my model, and still life doesn't really interest me that much, so I started taking pictures of birds.  And that's how I got hooked.

Lake Morton is a small lake in the town of Lakeland, about 30 minutes from Kissimmee along the I-4 toward Tampa.  The lake itself is more like a large lagoon.  Its
shore is built up in some places.  You can actually walk all the way around it, as it is in the middle of a park. It's a great place to see birds, sometimes quite close up.

 Black swan.  Although he looks like he's relaxing, he's actually keeping an eye on me.  Swans can be very territorial.  I've no doubt that if I had got too close, he would have attacked.

 Blue heron.  He was on shore, watching the world go by.  Walter and I took several pictures of him (from a distance).  He perked up at one point, and that's how I got this shot.  Then he decided that the water was a safer place, and moved back a few feet.

 Moving to safer ground.

 Snow geese.  I always thought they were white, but apparently not.  There is a fairy tale about a snow goose that I read when I was a child.  I can't remember if it was Hans Christian Anderson or Grimms Fairy Tales.  I'll have to look it up.

 Mallards.  One of my favourite ducks.

Mute swans.  This pair were engaged in a courtship ritual.  I looked it up when I got back to the condo.  They will mate for life, although, apparently 'divorce' is possible if nesting doesn't go well.  I got several photos of them while they were doing their mating routine.

After spending about an hour at the lake, we walked across the street to where our car was parked.  Behind the public library is the Polk Museum of Art.  What a find that was.  Unfortunately, no photography allowed so no pictures to show.  There was an exhibit of light painting (I don't know how else to describe it) that was really beautiful.  Various pieces of glass with coloured filters in them, arranged along a wall with bright lights shining through, creating an explosion of colour and shape.  For a better explanation, check out http://www.stephenknapp.com/.  It's beautiful work.