For my next Nature Walk, on my Friday lunch break I decided to take a quick stroll around the lake at the NIEHS campus, camera in hand. Over the past couple of month several coworkers have spotted two river otters in the lake (which is strange indeed). I even managed to spot one while staring out the cafeteria window.

Unfortunately, I did not see the otters, though I will most certainly be attempting to capture them on digital film next week… I did see the following… (FYI: I am not an experienced birder – if I misidentify, feel free to let me know. Also: these are highly compressed images to limit bandwidth – click for higher res).

Beautiful lake between the NIEHS and EPA campuses

First up, a flock of ruddy ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis):

Sleepy...

so my tail's stiff...what of it?

Get back to work...

And of course, our ubiquitous Canada Goose (Branta canadensis). We literally have hundreds of these birds all over campus year round, covering every surface with green refuse. I look forward to nesting season when they develop severe huffy attitudes that involve a lot of loud hissing (but they’re really all talk).

A while back they hired a company to capture most of them and relocate them…yeah…that didn’t work (too many geese leads to many problems, environmental and otherwise).

Bring it on Cobra Kai

Walk on by...

And the less exotic, but still wonderful American Robin (Turdus migratorius) far away and HIGH up in a tree (I was surprised this photo even turned out at all.

Fluffed in the wind

After my walk around the lake, I went for a burger at Wendy’s (I know – horrible – but they’re so tasty). All of the following were taken from my car in the parking lot and at my parked eating spot.

Every year about this time, a huge flock of Ring-Billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) shows up in this fast-food district. You coastal folks may bore of them, but we are pretty far inland, and I grew up in landlocked Arkansas, so I still find gulls utterly fascinating.

Give me fries!!

Call me Narcissus...

Beautiful Eyes (mature vs. immature)

One sad bird had a severely gimpy foot. But it seemed to be surviving…thanks to fast-food throw aways. I must say that it looked to be in some pain walking.

Victim of a fisherman (tangled line and rig)

And finally, I retreated to my favorite natural spot to eat, parked near a tiny copse of pines. Despite the fact that I always pay attention to nature, I somehow had never managed to see the following bird. I could tell it looked like a nuthatch – I’m very familiar with the White-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) as we had hundreds on my property in Arkansas – but I had no clue what it was and had to look it up when I got home.

It’s a Brown-Headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla). He was pretty cute – he would look in the hole and poke around, then jerk his head around to make sure no one was watching, then do it again and again.

The Paranoid Nuthatch

The Brown-Headed Nuthatch in action…

Shortly thereafter it was back to the lab…

Previous Nature Walks:

• Nature Walk #1 – Hawks, Epiphytes, Woodpeckers and Orchids