"I do not object to retouching, dodging or accentuation as long as they do not interfere with the natural qualities of photographic technique."
-Alfred Stieglitz

Lake Murray down in San Diego is supposed to have a varied retinue of birds in and around the lake and adjacent park.

I went there last Wednesday with a photography group I belong to for a photo walk. Our prime objective were birds - and there were many birds - but it is a very popular venue for walkers, joggers, and bike riders. With all of the human action around the lake, it was very hard to photograph birds in a natural atmosphere, as most of the birds were keenly aware of human presence.

Yes, we did see quite a few different species of birds. Unfortunately, they didn't settle down for longer periods of time. One real cool bird we did get a chance to photograph was an osprey sitting up high in a tall eucalyptus tree along the water's edge, spying for fish to swoop down on. The lake is seasonally stocked with trout and large mouth bass by the city, plus I'm sure it also is home to crappie, bluegill, and shad.

Photo from one of our members

Group photo. I'm 7th from the left in the Boonie-type hat, cool shades, black top, and tan pants.

 

Some of us arrived before sunrise for some shots, but it turned out to be a rather blah event. Across the lake from where we shot sits a water treatment plant. The play of rising sunlight on the buildings and some of its architecture made for an interesting photo. When dealt tamarind pods, one can make tamarind juice (lemonade is overrated at times).

 Great Egret

Osprey

We were assuming that this handsome bird was a male. About a quarter mile down the lake path sits a large osprey nest atop a power line with a female in it dutifully sitting on what must be eggs, as she didn't move from the nest the whole time we were shooting. Took some photos of her, but they didn't come out well due to the poor camera angle.

Lord of the Flies

A swarm of midges flying above a marshy section of Lake Murray.

All in all, we had a wonderful time. The photo ops weren't spectacular, but the lake and the camaraderie were the highlights of the photo shoot. Afterwards, most of us caravanned to a local eatery for a hearty breakfast, good conversation, and sharing of photo albums residing on our smartphones.