More Ducks and Eagles

     When I left work yesterday morning I had intended to photograph the ducks that are hanging around my worksite, but the -12°F  temperature over the open water created an ice fog that lowered visibility to a couple of hundred feet.  With the poor lighting the only photos I took were of the rime ice that formed on the vegetation around the water. 

 Plan B was to go in early for my afternoon shift and take advantage of the better lighting and warmer temperatures that dissipated the fog.

Female Lesser Scaup

Canvasback

Bufflehead

Bald Eagle

Hooded Merganse

Common Goldeneye

   This afternoon temperatures warmed into the mid-20's, so I headed to Dingell Park in Ecorse to check out the ducks and eagles that are hanging around the open water. At one point there were 32 Bald Eagles on and around Mud Island.

   Of course close views of ducks and eagles are exciting but they don't get the adrenaline flowing like a couple of free-roaming pitbulls.

 I spotted them when they were on the ice about half a mile up the river.  I pointed them out to the two other birders that were also at the park.  One of the men said "I hope they don't come up here". I reassured him that it didn't look like there would be an easy way for them to get up from the ice to the waterfront observation area  because it seemed to be surrounded by dog-filtering railing.   Oops.  A couple of minutes later the two sons-of bitches were in the parking lot of the park and heading in our direction. The dogs had not yet noticed us, as we closed ranks.  I removed the monopod from my camera lens as I considered possible uses for it.  The dogs sniffed around the garbage cans and got within ten feet of us before noticing we were there.  Tension rose as brown dog started to growl and walk toward us.  I took the monopod, pointed it at him and in a calm assertive manner told him to "Get".  He listened. Then the two beasts meandered back up the river where they came from.