Allequash Lake

Earlier in the summer I stopped by this lake to check out the landing and parking area. A young guy was fishing on one of the two docks on either side of the ramp and had I known this would be as empty as it pretty much ever gets, I would have put the boat in then. It was the end of the day and I’d been on the water for a few hours elsewhere so I didn’t. My next attempt a week later was met with easily 1/2 a dozen motor boat trailers in the lot, two more vying for space to launch, plus a couple of trucks with big kayak racks in evidence. No thank you. I greatly prefer quiet places with little or no motorized traffic. And considering that this lake is fairly small (400 acres), they would be difficult to ignore.

The third time was easier to deal with. Only 3 or 4 boat trailers in the lot and no cartops in sight. That would come later, but for an undeveloped lake with very easy access, it make sense. Many other lakes this size, either developed or wild, are more remote and many have limited access for motor boats. Maybe I should stick to those, but my time on this lake was pretty great.

From the air it looks sort of like a lop-sided hourglass. One side, let’s call it the west side, is easily accessed by motorized boats and is popular for fishing. The other has a sign prohibiting all but electric engines which basically leaves trolling motors and so is a bit quieter. Plus that side has a lot more vegetation that can tangle propellers. The other side is more open, but mostly shallow and very, very clear. I don’t think that many fishing boats really rip through it and mainly just putt-putt along. Something I, and the wildlife, very much appreciate.

On this, the crowded end I encountered a lone Great Blue Heron. I think it was a juvenile, but I’m not sure. I got fairly close and tried to steady the kayak in the plants. Here’s a still, but scroll for video. Cool stuff there. It was pretty windy, but I did my best.

Here is the first of the two videos in this post. I was lucky the bird was doing more than just standing there! Sorry about the way the kayak moves around quite a bit. I just couldn’t stay still and there’s only so much stabilization I can do after the fact. I’m hoping the new version of the G9 with improved stabilization will help. If I remember to zoom out a little, that will help, too, since so many post-processing stabilization methods incorporate zooming to accomplish it.

And here’s a still I also took in the process. It might be why I missed the catch. Switching from video to stills takes a little fiddling and sometimes I have the worst timing. Even so, this still is pretty good. The red in the background was a nice bonus. I love how it sets off the cooler tones of the heron.

Here’s a look at the narrow area that runs between the deeper, more open water ahead, and the shallow, plant-filled area behind me.

So if you look about half-way back to the left you’ll see what looks like a stump, but is a duck upside down in the water. This is it –

I love that it’s turned slightly toward me in this photo. I have others, but this one is the most engaging. It knows right where I am, but is relaxed and confident in its situation. It still has a little of its lunch hanging outside the bill. Messy eaters!

And here’s a 6-minute video of it feeding, quacking and with a whole herd of ducks being bouncy and silly and doing their thing. Mistakenly I thought this was a mallard, but iNaturalist experts tell me it’s an American Black Duck, a female. Doh! I’m bad at ducks.

Let me know what you think. It was the most complex mix I’d done so far and I learned a lot about audio while making it. Not only did I try to record better in the field by using an external microphone, but I applied some techniques to reduce noise and improve quality. One thing I love about my on-camera mic is that it’s stereo and mono together and I can increase the ratio. For these clips I have it slightly more monotone so that I could pick up the quacking, but you can still hear the cicada and the boat coming toward us. Because I was there I know that some guys behind me and to the left at the boat launch were talking, but since the stereo pick ups were turned down, it’s not too noticeable.

My approach is to improve both the filming and the editing each time I go out or start a new project from clips I already have. I’ve learned a lot and with each new video, I try to add another little bit in the editing phase. Trying to learn everything at once is just not possible, nor is it possible to make my ideal video right now. Instead, I do the best I can with the skills I have right now and publish them even if they might not be perfect. It’s fun and I keep learning and improving. I don’t think I’ll be exactly embarrassed by my early work, but I know that a year from now, or 5 or 10, I’ll see the difference and how far I’ve come, and look back on my first videos with affection. Besides, ducks are funny. That alone lets my mistakes slide a little.