The idea of exploring came from my morning trip to the bus stop. Everyday I would walk out of my front door and I would see the LSU lakes' glimmering surface. So, on Sunday, I rented a kayak for $10 from the UREC and adventured out on the lake.
Setting upon my journey to discover what kinds of hidden gems are on the lake.
What a setting for my day out on the water! I couldn't have asked for better weather either.
The first animals I saw on my trip, a Mottled Duck. There were two of them but they kept submerging. I was impressed at how far they were able to swim underwater.
My first exotic bird! A Brown Heron flew right above me with what looked like a fish clenched in its mouth.
I was impressed at how close I got to this crane...
...until it flew off.
Unknown fact: LSU houses an arboretum that is home to 39 different types of birds. It was difficult to get into the island, but it would definetly warrant another adventure!
I got as close as I could to the arboretum and I could hear all sorts of creatures living in the folliage.
I found at least a dozen of these birdhouses all along the south side of Bird Island. It seems they have been made by local fraternity Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR).
I also stumbled up a suspicious looking string tied to a 2X4 board. This maybe from a fisherman seeing as fishing is very common along the lake.
As I took my last shot of another Brown Heron flying over me I took a moment to appreciate the image. I was dumbfounded at the enclave of nature that was, litteraly, in my front yard. I would highly recomend grabbing a friend, packing a cooler, and going out and exploring something you see everyday. I was lucky enough to utilize the campus, and anyone else who has an interest in ornithology should take a peak at the LSU arboretum.
