I went to Lake Helen here in Lawton this morning to get some snow pictures. I had a good time and got some good shots. I did notice that I need some photographer's gloves. (With flip off finger ends so you can feel the shutter release button.) I went sans glove and had to stop shooting when I couldn't feel my hand any longer. I forgot that even with the sun shining brightly it was still 17°.

The Gulls are so hungry now that they will basically attack you if you approach the lake with anything that looks remotely like a loaf of bread. I have some shots that I will share later of them swarming me. It was difficult to take the photos because of the numb hand mentioned above but mostly because they are so fast and you have to throw the bread with your left hand and then try to hurry and steady the camera and shoot while they are still doing their piranha impersonation. I will con Dream Girl into throwing the bread when she gets the new hip.

I also found that while it may or may not be true that "White men can't jump." I can now tell you for sure that Blackbirds can't skate.

Gulls walk effortlessly on the ice covered lake with their webbed, semi-flat feet.

 

Blackbirds on the other hand are a different story. You won't find any hockey teams named after Blackbirds. (Ravens and Hawks and such don't count. While they may be black they are black birds, not Blackbirds.) They have those long legs with twig like toes. It was like a Three Stooges movie watching them try and fight for scraps of bread. Needless to say they went home hungry regardless of how close to them I tried to throw the bread. Sorry guys... It was hard to catch the antics with a still camera but I think this guy exemplifies the group the best....

If I threw the bread really close he would get scared and fly off and the Gulls would pounce on the bread. If I threw it further away, by the time he waddle-slipped his way over to it the Gulls had devoured his inspiration.  He was pissed I think... I kept waiting for laser beams to shoot out of his eyes.

Then there was this Gull. He wasn't happy to simply rush over and eat all the food in front  of the Blackbird, he wanted to send a message. What a showoff. "Not only can I eat your food. I can do it with one foot tucked warmly inside my feathers. Oh and here on my beak is a little crumb of bread that you not going to get either."