Mono Monday : : Mobile

This cormorant came in for a landing on a log in the lake this cold morning. I just missed the flurry of wings and the lowering of his landing gear, but then he spread his wings and waved them about in the sun to warm themI like the grainy, almost dreamy quality of the shot. I thought the reflection of the reeds and the ripples in the water created a lot of motion, as did the freezing temperatures and low light on my ability to hold the camera still. The extra shot is the same cormorant in color.  

I came upon two men with tripods and huge lenses photographing a pileated woodpecker on a branch above our heads. The sun was just rising over the dam, more visible than last week through the leafless trees. Most of the ducks were still sitting on rocks at the waterline, heads tucked under their wings to conserve heat.

A woman with a black lab told me that the mandarin ducks are back, but along with the swans, they must still have been sleeping.  Aside from the cormorants, the only other water birds we saw were the buffleheads bobbing and diving, more often tails up than heads. 

I tucked my hands into my pockets, put my head down and hurried back to the car to warm up.

Thanks to Skeena for hosting this challenge.