This on-again, off-again winter, hurried down to the lakefront to see the ice before it melts away.
Birds gather farther away from the shoreline in the open water. I could make out the Canada Geese, Common Mergansers and Herring Gulls but missed the reported Scaup and Snowy Owl Friday morning.
The ice cover has a moonscape look to it.
The fissures create unusual patterns as the water laps up in between the seams, from smooth to jagged like broken glass.
A crow on the lakefront.
And White-Wing absconding with her hot dog reward.
Yesterday I visited Brookfield Zoo. There’s a little lake at the edges of the zoo grounds by the Salt Creek, where a portion of the water is kept open.
A Hooded Merganser.
The female Hooded Merganser. Female Mergansers in general always look like they were just at the hairdresser.
A Northern Shoveler barely stood out among the Mallards.
Adding the only musical note to this post, the Trumpeter Swan. And trumpet he did.
A Red-Bellied Woodpecker.
Away from the lake, but outdoors in the cement pond area, the preening American White Pelicans have the last word.
Those are some really “cool” photos! Pun on the word “cool” intended.