Mallard drake heading back to the nest.

The Beach family.

The screamer!

A stranger in their midst.

Aw …

… with reeds.

The kids don’t know which way they are going to go!

A poser.

This one a diver.

Disappears in the water …

… and reamearges.

Any one know what these are called?

The orange beak should be a dead giveaway.

The mallard nest.

I just liked this one.

Mallard drake in flight …

… and his partner.

A nesting loon …

… keeping an eye on me.

Big Bird came by.

This may have been the reason everything started flying off

First time seeing this kind here.

Lots of chirping, seemed like it was looking for another.

Found her/him?

Coming back?

Came back so I could get some close-ups!

Came back so I could get some close-ups!

Another poser.

These are pretty birds when the sun hits them right.

Didn’t mind I was only 10 feet away.

The first day at the lake in the spring is always an exciting time, and Mike Bogert’s  photos taken this past week will attest to that. The birds were abundant, and the photo opportunities numerous on this northwestern Minnesota lake, making one quickly forget about the lack of television service.