This sweet little duck seems to be wondering if there are some yummy bugs hiding under those leaves.
She wouldn’t be wrong since the rain has brought out quite a few worms. (I’m not including a worm photo because, well, I don’t want to.)
I hope she found some good ones but I wasn’t going to stick around to watch her eat lunch. I’m not really a fan of squishy things. Ugh.
Happy Wednesday.
Who says that it’s only birds of a feather that flock together? You can definitely flock with scales, too …
We have some trouble communicating but we still understand each other …
… because when the humans are dispensing food, it’s always a great idea to bring your best friends along to share the wealth. More friends, more food, especially if you look cute and needy, something that’s a bit difficult for a fish …
… but we know that sharing with our underwater, scaled friends is a good thing. They would do the same for us!
Happy Sunday.
During the summer our resident mallard duck flock scatters all over the parks, beaches and gardens. They can be found almost anywhere, especially if there’s a bit of water nearby.
When the sun starts to shine and the days become warmer, they quickly abandon their over-wintering spot in Penticton Creek. Right now, only a few can be found there.
But when it gets colder, they will occupy “Duck Creek” once more, and lots of people – including the city – will make sure they have enough to eat to generate the calories they will need to make it to spring.
Have a duckie day!
It’s a busy time of year for birds. They’re migrating, or nesting, or getting ready to nest. I’ve noticed that many of the mallard ducks have paired up.
This couple seemed quite content until another male tried to interrupt. That action caused the female to fly away.
A bit later, I saw her surrounded by four males, all trying to get her attention. She took off again; apparently she wasn’t impressed with their behaviour.
I’ve seen this lone coot in the same location for a few days in a row now. Today I realised that her/his partner is already sitting on a well-concealed nest at the water’s edge. Unlike mallards, coots mate for life and share the work of incubating, protecting and raising their young.
I hope to see the amazingly colourful coot chicks – they are orange and red and only turn black when they reach adulthood – in four or five weeks when their parents will begin teaching them how to survive in the water.
Happy Sunday.
There are springy signs everywhere! First, I noticed a few days ago that the red maples have very suddenly started budding.
These trees are loaded with pink buds that are so pretty against the blue sky.
They will soon be leafing in great profusion.
Then I saw that the large koi in the Japanese garden fish pond have come through the winter and their dormancy in good shape.
Passing near the creek the always-hungry ducks were happy to see us with our bag of quinoa snacks, and I noticed that the green head feathers of the males are beginning to turn very iridescent, a sign that they will soon be mating.
I hope signs of spring are happening where you are, too.
Happy Wednesday.
I recently saw this pair of mallard ducks in a small pond. They were alone and seemingly investigating the edge of the shore, possibly looking for a good nesting site.
Seeing them pair off and start looking for nesting spots is a very good sign of spring.
A nicely hidden space among the long grasses from last summer might do very nicely for a little family.
Going forward I’ll be keeping out an eye out for them. I hope they find a nice, secure spot.
Happy Monday.
While out walking we stopped to give our resident duck flock their quinoa quota.
After we were done, a man who had been waiting in his truck for us to finish stepped out and the ducks launched themselves at him in a big swarm! He was carrying about 2 kg (4.4 lbs) of bird seed which he distributed to a very happy flock. We thought they mobbed us, but we have nothing on their reaction to him!
Gathered in a tight knot, we didn’t see much except their backs once the seed was spread.
About three or four pigeons were able to squeeze their way toward some food, but they were mostly excluded.
We chatted with him and he related that he regularly comes by to provide them with seed, especially if it’s cold out or their nearby creek is frozen over.
These are definitely some lucky ducks!
Happy Friday.
Over the last few days I’ve noticed that the ducks and geese are beginning to prepare for new little ones.
The geese mate for life but something about their recent behaviour tells me that they’re becoming expectant; perhaps they’re waiting for the double-digit warm weather so that they can build nests and raise their young.
At this point, the coots just seem to be eating; of course, many of them will soon be migrating to their nesting grounds.
And then we have the mallard duck crew. They’re pairing up too. Here’s a short video showing how quickly they come running and flying toward us for a quinoa snack.
Happy Thursday.
Scenes from a couple of my recent walks.
Happy mid-week.
Our local duck flock has gathered in their favourite creek to rest and sleep.
There was some sleepy chatting, but mostly there was a lot of settling and snoozing.
Well fed and comfortable, they seemed to be doing well.
Happy Saturday.
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