Beth, of Wandering Dawgs presents another opportunity to showcase the many splendors of being “On the Water”. This wide-open challenge is right up my alley, so the test for me is to sort through my choices, and make some kind of order to it. Here goes!
Top photo, sunlight sparkles on Hines Marsh, along the Martha Jordan Birding Trail, Leadbetter State Park, Long Beach Peninsula, WA. A Yellow Pond-lily (Nuphar variegata) in a shallow sheltered niche, took me back to my childhood when I visited my grandparents at their resort on Deer Lake, north of Spokane, WA. These lilies were a sure sign of spring.
Birds and water go together. Top left, Canvasback ducks (Aythya valisineria) splash the surface with their web-feet as they lift from Conconully Reservoir, in the Okanogan region of Washington State. Clockwise: a Mallard hen (Anas platyrbynchos) tends her precocial brood on a pond at the Breakers and a Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) cruises in the same marsh ponds; a mature Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) forages for breakfast at surfside on Long Beach, WA.
Humans have created many different crafts to port themselves across bodies of water. In my post #155, I featured my brother-in-law’s trout-fishing boat. https://lindylecoq.com/2021/07/10/lens-artists-photo-challenge-155-on-the-water/ Above, a small sailboat rests at anchor behind a pine tree on Lake Tahoe at sunrise.
Above, two sunset photos from Orcas Island, WA – looking across to Waldron Island: a young girl on a paddle-board, and a sizable sail boat at anchor in the bay. Then there is my fishing pole ready for a strike on Odell Lake, Oregon!
Located in Willapa Bay and part of the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, Long Island is only accessible by watercraft. I was fortunate to attend one of the last ferry excursions sponsored by “Friends of Willapa Bay” before funding to support programs like this was stripped away by the current US administration. The tide wasn’t quite right for a perfect landing, so we participants took off our shoes and waded ashore. To see what treasures were in store on this little gem, here is my post featuring it: https://lindylecoq.com/2022/09/28/lens-artists-photo-challenge-218-over-the-hill/
Lindy Low LeCoq 
Lindy, your first marsh image looks so tranquil and I love the Yellow Pond Lily. We stopped at a pond covered with them in Alaska. Your bird gallery is great. I never tire of your Bald Eagle images. I love the boats, the people on the beach and the Canada Goose at the end. Thanks for joining the challenge with this beautiful post.
Thank you, Beth. It was a pleasure to post scenes of places and subjects I love!
I wish you had a telephoto!
Sometimes I do!
Beautiful shots. The paddle-boarder is my favorite.
Thank you, Jill. It’s another of those right time right place events!
Such a lovely set of photos. I liked that cheerful yellow water lily and the birds. I love the way many of these ducks have to take a long flapping set of leaps before they are airborne. You got that shot very nicely.
Thank you. I’m glad the water lily caught your eye.
Canvasback Ducks are one of the largest diving ducks in North America, so it takes a bit of paddling for them to lift off!
Lift may have something to do with weight as well as wing size Common coots also have a long take off, but they aren’t heavy.
Your birds are always wonderful! Sunsets glorious and the Yellow Pond-lily a dream.
Thank you Leya. This was the first time I saw a lily blossom in this area. There is something so cheerful about yellow flowers 😊
There certainly is – to me it is a spring colour first!