Learning Curves

I've been looking for a more lightweight camera system the last few years.  I think I've found what I've been wanting, but with new gear comes a learning curve.  

Birds and waterfowl make good subjects for practice, so I headed to the bay to see what I'd find.  Seagulls were all over the place, mostly perched on marina posts watching for handouts.

Mallards were populous at the marina too.  This guy came out of the water and walked right up to a family walking through the park.  It seems begging is really in vogue during these cold winter months.

I moved to the west side of the bay and immediately saw this Lesser Scaup, or a least I think that's what it was.  Seemed to be a bit too far north, but maybe it was still migrating.

This female Common Merganser looks like it's relaxing by floating on the bay.  But don't let her fool you.

Mergansers are diving ducks and are hilarious to watch as they go "bottoms up" in search of their next meal.  I caught this one as she was just going into her dive.

I planned to head to the other side of town to check out big birds, hopefully another Snowy Owl.  But instead of a Snowy, I spied this huge hawk perched at the top of this tree watching and waiting for its next meal.  After a couple snaps, I realized my camera wasn't functioning.   I figured out I had a dead battery.  Ahhhh, learning curves.