For most of my life, I have enjoyed the wilder, least developed areas of the great state of Maine. Early mornings anywhere are great opportunities for finding new subjects and enjoying the invigorating morning atmosphere. Often nature provides a spectacular show during these early morning hours. This morning was no exception . . . except I also was the show! After loading up my little boat with my plein air painting equipment, gathering up a life jacket, cushion, then snack and water, I zoomed my little boat across the lake to a quiet spot. Expecting to see a fisherman as a subject, I sat and waited. The little puffs of wind turned the boat and kept me working to keep my eye on the area where I thought a fisherman would appear. The water was lapping the boat, the boat was swaying, the wind was puffing, the light early fog was lifting to reveal gorgeous sunshine, and the birds were tweeting . . . . "real" tweeting! (It is worth a smile.) Then, they stopped tweeting.
Competition. Even the osprey around the lake take notice when this guy arrives. We think he has given up his youthful feathers from previous years. as he's sporting a head of beautiful white feathers. He's a big bird. We've seen three osprey fight back when this eagle scouts too close to their nests. When the boat drifted close, I took this photo with a little point-and-shoot camera. When the boat drifted too close, the eagle gave me a warning. I didn't find him too scary, but he did warn me. I have seen a bird like this attack a blue heron mid-air. So, while he was watching me, I was watching him. Using binoculars, it was very clear he was keeping an eye on everything around him, probably looking for breakfast. So, I started the motor and did some looking of my own. Further down the lake, a float plane was moored inside a cove more protected from the wind. For the record . . . plein air subjects . . . ar-r-rg! Got a good start and the plane took off!
