My Lucky Day

I left for an evening drive and within 4 kilometers of home I saw one moose and one deer.  On the way to Elk Island, the bison were along the fence line by the highway and the elk were grazing at the edge of the forest.  Just as I passed the park gate, a timid brown hare was nibbling on the young green grasses in the ditch.  Further up, bison were grazing along the roadside.  All my forest friends were out to say hello.

As I drove to Astotin Lake I noticed how much greener it was today.  The aspen leaves were noticeably more open and the sunlight coming from the west enhanced their color all the more.

The waterfowl were out in full force; swimming on the roadside ponds.  I drove with the windows open so I could hear their calls across the water.

I pulled into the parking lot at the lake, grabbed my gear and headed to the beaver pond.  I listened to the red-winged blackbirds singing their songs as I looked for the perfect spot to set up.




 
I was so busy choosing a location that I didn't notice the muskrat in front of me.  I came to within a couple meters of it before I saw it.  It just kept nibbling and put on quite a show for me while I set up my tripod.

Luck was with me tonight.  The muskrat was so close that I just about stepped on it and then a beaver came within a meter of where I was standing; not once but twice.  I missed a couple of great shots because I had the telephoto lens on and the beaver was too close.


I stayed at the pond for thirty minutes to watch the action.  The sun started going down and the mosquitoes were coming out.  I knew then that it was time to leave.

On my way out of the lake parking lot, my eye caught some action in another pond.  Feathers were flying and a couple of geese were having a knock down, drag out fight.  At first I thought they were having a little 'fun' if you know what I mean but soon realized that it was real fight.  The poor goose that was getting the brunt of the abuse escaped the pond and limped onto the road.  It looked half drowned.



As I neared the south park gate, the sun was streaming through the trees at the top of a hill.  It gave a white tailed deer a heavenly glow.  The drive this evening was fantastic.  One moose, a couple of deer, a hare, an entertaining muskrat, a brave beaver, a goose fight, singing blackbirds, grazing bison and a couple of elk; who could ask for more.  All my 'friends' were out tonight.