Woods Canyon Lake, July 7, 2022

Fr. Charlie and I went to Woods Canyon Lake on July 7, 2022. The lake is on the Mogollon Rim at an elevation of 7,500 ft, so it’s a nice place to get some cool weather on an unusually hot day in Phoenix. It’s a two hour drive, and we got there at about 8:30 AM.

We decided not to rent a boat this time. In the past we have rented a boat to try to get some up close pictures of Osprey and Bald Eagles fishing. We decided instead to walk on the trail by the lake. We only made it as far as the dam. We spent a long time there because there were quite a few Osprey circling. We also saw a Bald Eagle fly over.

I captured a sequence of an Osprey catching a fish without diving completely into the water. Instead, it plucked the fish off of the surface, like the Bald Eagles do. It’s the first time I’ve seen an Osprey fish that way. Unfortunately, I messed up and had my shutter speed set too slow to capture an action scene like that, but the shots are still OK.

Then we decided to hike along the creek behind the dam, instead of continuing around the lake. It was a good decision. It’s a beautiful spot. We saw the Bald Eagle roosting, but he took off before we could get a shot.

It was another beautiful day at Woods Canyon Lake!