Waterfowl at Sunset on the Skokie Lagoons

Several times, when the inner-forest trail on the Skokie Lagoons gave way to

 the water, I spotted waterfowl quickly floating in the opposite direction. Along with the

 typical throng of mallards and canadian geese, there were pie-billed grebes and coots 

(pictured above). Naturally the birds were nowhere to be seen until sunset, where a brief 

window of warm golden sunlight allowed for unique shots.

I like discovering new birds that I haven't seen before. It gives nature hikes a sense 

of adventure. I guess nature hikes are actually really mundane, and so are birds. There's

 no legitimate point to birdwatching or nature photography in general. It probably 

depends more on whether or not you aren't bored to death by exploring suburban forests 

than on whether or not you have a strong bias towards the purpose of recording nature 

that people already know exists.

Winnetka

Taken in November 2012