Guinness, my 5-month-old lab/boxer mix wakes me up at 5:30 to go outside. After we both eat, she settles down and I decide to go to one of my favorite birding places, Apex’s Lake Pine Park. The trail is popular with birders, walkers, runners, and anyone who wants to be outside.
The paved loop trail is two miles long. I usually cover about three exploring side paths to the water’s edge. From the bottom of the first hill, I watch without luck for an otter playing in the cove closest to the dam where I spotted it on my first trip. Disappointed, I move on.
In another cove, I see the first of many Great Blue Herons. The long-legged bird is unsuccessfully looking for breakfast in the shallows. Off in the distance, I see one of the resident cormorants perched on a log out in the calm water.