On a pleasant spring day I drove up the bumpy road to Pat Lake, sometimes called Six Mile Lake.    It is a favorite spring fishing lake, but I stayed close to the shoreline paddling around twice, once in each direction.   

There were many birds on the shoreline and on the lake, including blackbirds, loons, ducks (mostly coots), geese, bluebirds, swallows, and crows.   There were painted turtles and marmots sunning, frogs croaking, and a variety of active insects.  

bluebird

marmot

yellow-headed blackbird

Six Mile Thrice

Pat Lake

western painted turtle

western painted turtle

Six Mile Lake

After paddling I hiked around the lake, enjoying the Six Mile Hills.

Video captures the calls of the birds and the soughing of the wind:

I will be back to do a larger loop through the Six Mile Hills.