Gruesome Twosome

Day 271: Do not be misled by Nymphaea odorata's beautiful blossom and sweet fragrance. This introduced plant, native to the eastern part of the country, is considered an invasive menace in the Pacific Northwest. That said, they are often sold by nurseries to people who want to add them to landscaped ponds and water gardens and thus have made their way into many (most!) of our lakes. They quickly snuff out native species and often create areas of stagnant, poorly oxygenated water when the leaves form a barrier on the surface, blocking natural aeration. Nymphaea occurs in many colors, although white and pink are the most typical.

I'll Bet A Buck

Day 268: Bet a buck! See your doe! I had some interesting company while I was paddling around Tanwax Lake day before yesterday, and intended to share this handsome buck in velvet with my readers yesterday, but as things fell out, my internet failed. In any event, he was upstaged by the fledging of the Tree Swallow babies from the House of Chirp (see previous post).

Rather small for a three-point, he was with a doe of similar size. She was the more daring of the two, coming down to the water's edge and working her way along a narrow band of firm ground beneath the scrub. Bucky tested the water with one foot and chickened out, retreating to the safety of dry land. When the doe realized he wasn't following her, she returned to his side and the two went off into the brush together.

The Hunter

Day 267: Tanwax Lake already had a toxic blue-green algae alert posted for it by the time I purchased my kayak last August, so it went on my list of potential early-season paddles for this year. It's a fairly small lake (approximately 172 acres) and feeds Tanwax Creek at the west end. Much of the shoreline is developed, but a section of the north side is brushy and wild. That's where I found Mr. Heron doing his part to control the invasive bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) which populate so many of our western Washington water resources. Sidebar here: those water lilies in the photo (Nymphaea odorata) are also an invasive species. They can be white or pink with green or reddish-green leaves.

I admit it: I like taking pictures of Herons, common though they may be. Their ability to camouflage themselves against a background of cattails simply by standing straight and tall is uncanny. You'd think they'd stick out like a sore thumb...big grey spot surrounded by green...but I was almost on top of this fellow before I saw him. He'd seen me, though, and had that bright yellow eye firmly fixed on the invader in his territory. With the blades barely rippling the water, I paddled past him until I was occluded from his sight by a tussock of foliage. Then slowly and carefully, I tucked the paddle into the 'yak and let the wind carry the boat, a silently floating (if brightly colored) "log" as far as Mr. Heron was concerned. By then, he'd gone back to looking for lunch, and was having a high degree of success at the project. Of all the photos I got, this was my favourite. It shows Mr. Heron's supreme concentration on the task at hand: survival. Kinda puts our human complaints of lousy cell phone service and mean bosses into a whole 'nother perspective, if you think about it.