Duck Pairs

The mallard ducks have all paired off …

… and are busily eating as much as they can in preparation for the spring arrival of their hatchlings.

The male mallards help with the nesting but once the young ones arrive, they go off by themselves to suffer through their moulting period. The moulting makes them feel terrible (and look rather terrible, too); I have seen lots of male mallards looking very listless and ill.

Did you know that mallards are the progenitors of nearly all domesticated duck species except the Muscovy ducks? And did you also know that despite the name, Muscovy ducks are native to the Americas and not at all to Russia?

Happy Wednesday.

Reblog: Snow, Trees and Sky

A final image from the recent visit to Hurricane Ridge (Olympic National Park). I thought you might like to see a more ground level shot. The snow is…

Snow, Trees and Sky

A stunning photo from Allan at Allan J Jones Photo Blog. Please click the link above to see more of his beautiful photography.

Thinking About Spring, Part 3

Although many of us in western North America are enjoying some nice February weather, most people are still freezing and fighting off snow, wind and ice. So here’s another “think spring” post to hopefully brighten your day.

Crane’s Bill

I believe the groundhogs were mostly saying that the central and eastern parts of the continent are supposed to have an early spring and I would definitely say that you’ve earned it! So herewith are some memories of June, 2025. Last time, I posted pictures from April and May.

Tea roses …

… a very fresh daisy …

… lovely pinkish-red hydrangeas …

… and white ones, too …

… with pretty pastel poppies.

Happy Friday.

Floating

These photos were taken a month ago when we had some sun which has definitely not been the case recently!

What I like best about these photos is how the snowy mountaintops seem to be floating above the lake due to some haze and also due to how the colour of the forest at the lower level almost completely matches the colour of the lake.

It’s a lovely optical illusion that I found very attractive.

A couple of days later, a rosy hue spread through the valley as the sun set; it wasn’t an optical illusion but it was lovely all the same.

Happy Wednesday.

Sometimes, life is like that.