The Ponds and the Critters

Went for an early morning, before-breakfast walk to the ponds, and another one a short while ago. Still playing with the camera, getting used to it, and most of all, learning to hold it steady when I'm using the strong telephoto.

 Early morning, this family of geese made pretty patterns in the still water.

It was barely daylight out there -- sun hadn't made its appearance yet.

Contrast a few hours later in bright sunshine!

Got into a rather lengthy standoff with this pair of geese protecting their babies. I couldn't get back to the sidewalk without passing them, finally made it. They can be a bit aggressive where their babies are concerned, so I didn't want to push it too much.

Coming home, this osprey and its chick were posing very nicely! Doesn't happen often. The platform is high up on a pole, next to a telephone pole, right alongside the busy road. I was happy with the sharp image this time, considering it was pretty high telephoto. It's actually better than it looks here, since Blogger seems to make photos smaller with fewer pixels. But, it's progress, with me and the camera and the zoom lens.

So, I've walked over 9,000 steps today already. 10,000 is the goal, and I'll make that easily today. Hiking tomorrow, so don't want to push the footsteps too much today.