Trout Rising and Other Pond Life

We spent the earlier part of the evening last night at a pond.  I'd been wanting to capture trout rising up out of the water to catch nymphs and flies--a challenge I liken to capturing lightning bugs in their flash mode.  You don't know where or when it's going to happen; like my friend Angelo says, you have to be in the right place at the right time!  In an otherwise still pond, I managed to shoot a few small rises.

They're after stuff like this:

That sometimes swarm like this:

But not last night.  It was calm and peaceful, with just enough to keep the fish happy.

Birds were singing all around me:

Flowers were at my feet:

And I was surrounded by beautiful scenery in every direction:

This beaver swam into view, heading toward it's home through an underwater tunnel which led him to pop out on the other side of the dam. 

Walking around the pond, I came across this pair of Mallards. 

When the drake took off heading straight for me (Imax-style), caught by surprise, I jumped back and let out a yelp!

A few small fish were caught and released.

My photo shoot would have been complete if I caught the heron that slowly flew overhead, but I left here anyway with a peaceful feeling in my heart which I hope extends to yours as you view this post!