Paxton Pits

Warmer Spring weather has us doing more countryside exploring.  In March we checked out Paxton Pits Nature Reserve.  It's known as a wildlife sanctuary, with meadows, a river, and lakes.  It claims to be a great place to photograph several bird species.  We began to doubt this after walking about a mile and seeing zero birds.  Making the best of it, I started taking photos of our surroundings.  These cattails were everywhere (though I think they're called 'bullrush' here).

Eventually we crept up on a swan grooming itself behind the reeds.  Swans have become commonplace to us, but I liked this scene because of the lines and colors.

As we rounded the back of a large lake, we kept seeing these warning signs.  We didn't hunt for any birds here!

Finally, when we'd nearly reached our car, this chirpy little guy decided to pose for me.  He let me walk incredibly close with my zoom lens, letting me get a series of close-ups.  He really made my day!

~Lindsay