The next morning we checked out the sunrise before breakfast. It cold enough during the night that the lake was covered in fog.
After breakfast we took a short hike along the cliffs near our campsite. The the lake basin is carved into limestone. In many places along the shoreline, shallow soil gives way to limestone cliffs. These cliffs provide the vantage for cliff jumping, or in our case, cliff hiking. On our chilly November trip, we stayed firmly on the ground. Well, I did. I'm sure my daughter's feet got wet a few times while she was climbing around!
As we approached a protected inlet along the shore line from the top of the cliff, we spooked a huge flock of mudhens hanging out near shore. They were as much of a surprise to me as we were to them. I have never seen hundreds of mudhens all packed together before. Presumably they had been munching on the aquatic plants growing near the shore before our arrival. Mudhens, which look much like ducks, are not very good at taking flight. The exodus was slow, and awkward, and allowed me to get off a few shots before they made it out into the open water.
When I was telling my husband about the flock, he thought the term mudhen was a bit diminutive. I don't think the more formal, American Coot, is much better. You may choose how to insult them for yourself—or just go latin, Fulica americana.
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