It's alive!

The Mississippi River, that is.

On an afternoon cruise above the Falls, I came across all manner of critters and critter sign: a deer by the water works (click on the pic for a clearer view), a fully re-colonized Heron rookery north of the Camden Bridge, and a little island where the beaver has been wreaking havoc.

There is a great variety waterfowl on the river now. It's not just the usual suspects--the mobs of mallards and Canada geese--but also some entertaining transients.

Over the last week, I've seen quite a few bufflehead, a bunch of golden eye, a pair of wood ducks, two loons and approximately one zillion coots. The buffleheads, which are very flashy, seem to be the shiest of the bunch. This is regrettable because it makes it hard for an amateur photographer such as me to get a decent image.