is it a bird?

I was walking along my usual path around the lake. I spotted something in the water. First I wasn't sure whether it was a stump of wood or something else. I assumed it was my shy friend , the heron, but even as I was snapping away, I wasn't entirely sure. As I tried to get closer he promptly took off and swooped around the lake and landed across, at the other side. He does look rather cold and miserable in this picture.

A few more here