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A September trip to our condo on Table Rock Lake was spent boating and paddleboarding. The weather was perfect, the scenery beautiful, and the lake fairly quiet since Labor Day had passed. Our final day was spent exploring a winding creek in Arkansas, which turned out to be a bird watcher's dream!

As we slowly traversed the creek, Mike pointed out a couple of Great Egrets flying around a bend in the distance. I got my camera ready as we followed the egrets around the curve. As we drew closer, we saw a congregation of these large white herons: some wading in the shallows, others roosting and preening in the trees. I hadn't seen egrets on this lake in some time, and I had a great time watching and photographing them as Mike guided the boat ("Slow down!" "Can you go back?" "Stop here!" - poor Mike).

Of course there were lots of Great Blue Herons in the mix, and many, like the one pictured above, were juveniles (maybe the same ones I photographed at the heronry last spring?).

I also saw a few Green Herons. They are small and blend in with their surroundings, so most of them were only seen when startled into taking off...

Further down the creek, I saw something unusual in the distance, something below an angled tree trunk on the shoreline...not a bird...an animal? It looked like a delicate four-legged animal...sure enough, it was a spotted fawn grazing on tender foliage. I took several photos and then I saw mom amid the trees nearby. We watched them for quite a while, and they didn't seem disturbed in the least.

After capturing a couple hundred photos, I decided it was time to paddleboard. It was so peaceful and relaxing: I could still see the herons and egrets, though they didn't let me get too close. I heard the familiar rattle of a Belted Kingfisher and the chatter of Chickadees; I saw turtles sunning themselves (and quickly slipping below the surface as I came near) and a number of birds that I couldn't identify.

When I paddled to an area too shallow for the boat to follow, I was surrounded by areas of what I can only describe as fish bubbles. When I looked closer, I could see innumerable small silvery fish beneath the surface. Maybe minnows? They seemed to be too large (6 inches?) to be minnows, but I am not a fish expert by any means! Anyway, it was a pretty cool phenomenon, especially from the vantage point of a paddleboard!

It was time to head back toward the boat and deeper waters. Back on board, I resumed my bird watching. We saw two young Osprey flying into the trees, and a kettle* of vultures soaring overhead, enjoying the thermals.

It was time to head back to the condo. Our perfect September afternoon was coming to an end. Mike was glad to be cruising in open water again until..."Wait, go back! I think I saw a goat!" Mike was not convinced, but being the sweet husband he is, he turned the boat around for me to have a look. Yes, it was a beautiful bearded goat on the side of the cliff! A perfect (and humorous) ending to a perfect day.

Thank you for allowing me to share my discoveries with you!

Photograph. Paint. Love. Repeat.

*The name kettle is used when groups of vultures catch thermal updrafts, spiraling upward like water boiling in a pot.