Things started in a very interesting way with this bird.  It's an off-season male wood duck (you can tell it's male by the white pattern on the head, you can tell it's off-season because of the lack of color on the head and much of the other feathers).  What I found interesting about this one in particular was the vibrant blue on the wings.  I hadn't seen one with that much color.

Faded Wood Duck

Walking around the lake, there was a birder passing by.  I asked (as I frequently do) if he had seen anything interesting.  Stepping about 10 feet down the path in front of me, he pointed to this red-tailed hawk.  And I never would have seen it without his help because it was on a branch that was hidden in the direction I was walking.

Red-Tailed Hawk Red-Tailed Hawk Red-Tailed Hawk Red-Tailed Hawk Red-Tailed Hawk

The trumpeter swans were out in the distance, swimming/paddling/strolling towards us.  In this case, I wanted them to act as an accent to the environment.  

Trumpeter Swans

Finally, an egret had ensconced itself on the shore of the lake, quite close to the path.  And was nice enough to provide both profiles.

Egret Egret