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A beautiful very quiet and very verdant day around the pond today. The emerging leaves have just about obliterated the view of Overlook Mountain. The light breeze that was rippling the pond earlier has now ended and left the it a pool of black ink. Ferns and wild iris are beginning to line the bank. The frenzy of migration season has all but ended. A pair of ducks abandoned their flight north and are quietly raising a family in the tall grass at the back of the pond. Not so quiet, but somewhat subdued, is the goose family, which has returned but remains as far from the front yard as possible thanks to Shari and her bull horn. Abject terror in a goose is a thing to behold. Before long, however, the tree frogs will begin to warm up their evening song–well, some might say clamor–and the spell will be broken.
Things around the pond were not always this placid. In fact, until I cleared the land and we had it dug out, it was a fetid impenetrable swamp.For every tree frog we now have, I’d swear that 500 existed back then. Then the “evening song” had more decibel level of a train wreck. In fact, as I end this note, the first evening peeper has just finished its own note.

Things have been quite busy around the pond during the last several days, though it appears that the northerly migration has slowed considerably. We’ve apparently been adopted by a family of mallards. No doubt the same ones that moved in and had a family last year. Sadly, last year’s ducklings fell victim, one at a time, to the appetites of the pond’s snapper population. In fact, a humongous snapper hauled out near the porch two days ago. I can only assume that history will repeat itself this year. In past years, I’ve seen a swimming duckling disappear as into thin air. Another hors d’oeuvre for some snapper’s under water banquet. Mother Nature is at times a pragmatic old babe. Once hatched, you’re on your own. A great blue heron has been making daily runs on the pond. It lurks around the shallows, flying from one area of the pond to another, apparently selecting those fish unfortunate enough to appeal to its delicate palate. It then flies off without even saying thanks. The bass have been spawning and the grass carp have been skimming the surface of the pond picking up odds and ends that blow in or fall off of surrounding trees. They’re now alert after their winter long stupor. A variety of smaller turtles have been enjoying the sun daily. No doubt a welcome relief from the mud, murk and cold of the past several months. On a strangely different note, a small garter snake and a toad got into a contest the other day which may well have been existential for both of them. The toad, which appeared much too large for the snake to swallow, was still in control of one leg and was dragging the snake around by its mouth. I stopped watching. Too much like current politics.

My intrepid bride has managed to instill enough fear into our resident goose family for them to go into self exile (so far) from the front yard.

An addition to the pond’s avian visitors. A great blue heron dropped in and surveyed the area. No doubt scoping it out as a likely fishing venue for the coming summer.

An absolutely beautiful warm sunny early spring day around the pond today. Sunny warm and silent except for the sound of a nearby seasonal waterfall and the birds. Utter bliss. At the end of the day two mallards splashed down and four deer came out of the woods and grazed along the edge of the pond near the porch. They’re still wearing their drab winter coats, but they looked a bit shaggy. They may be donning their spring wardrobe soon. Speaking of that, we were visited by two wood ducks and three mallards yesterday. Another threesome. Maybe the birds know something we don’t. I see that, according to medical science, the Y chromosome is gradually disappearing among us human critters. Guess I won’t worry about that. I plan on being long gone, Y chromosome and all. Maybe the male bird got the word and he’s planning ahead.
The squirrels have been doing their crazy spring dance, chasing each other all over the yard, up and down trees and elsewhere. Maybe they’ve been talking to the mallards. Some have been frantically digging everywhere. Looking for the acorns they buried last autumn, I assume. They often draw a blank, whether from failing memory (I can relate. I’ve lost a few acorns, myself) or because some other dastardly critter robbed their stash. I imagine even the lowly squirrel can get really pissed off under those circumstances. Never saw a really pissed off squirrel, but I’ll bet it’s not a pretty sight. I guess that’s their problem.

Cold, clammy day, today. The sun hid behind dark clouds. Jack Frost pitched intermittent icy flurries at us. And Spring seemed a distant rumor. Not a day for hanging out on the porch and counting avian traffic. The birds must be flying on instruments. However, an occasional peek out the window yielded a bird count of three ring neck ducks, two mallards and, of course, our resident geese  🙁. There may be more, but we opted for the comfort of indoors over keeping a running bird inventory. One little ring neck has been fishing by itself for the last three days. We’re beginning to wonder if we might have a mom duck on a nest somewhere on the property. Stay tuned. Even rumors sometimes bring good news.

 

It’s been party time on the pond all day. Countless ring neck ducks have been frolicking noisily around out there since morning. We think that some may be over nighters from yesterday. Thus, an avian species that was totally unknown to us two weeks ago has now become a household bird. So to speak. We’re beginning to suspect that we have acquired a pair or two of season long boarders. That’s fine with us. These are nice little birds–courteous, clean and well versed in proper pond acumen. Two marauding geese flew in around mid-day, waged brief territorial warfare with Dad Goose and flew away, minus a few feathers. Two mallards and two wood ducks then joined the festivities. Mom Goose was out of the game, no doubt stirring evil spells into her ovoid cauldrons of gestating doom. Dad Goose was still moping around, burying his loneliness with copious mouths full of grass. Little wonder that his species is known for its gastric explosiveness. Notwithstanding that, one little wood duck demonstrated surprising hubris when it jumped out of the pond, walked right up to his royal gooseness, stared at him for a few minutes and flew back to the pond. Just curious, I guess. Or bored. Geese are not known for their erudite conversation. As the sun sets, the party goes on. Hope the neighbors don’t complain.

Well, it’s been a real duckarama around the pond today. This morning began with the arrival of 2 mallards. Three wood ducks and 7 ring neck ducks followed shortly thereafter. Nine more ring necks and 2 wood ducks joined the party in the afternoon. And a partridge in a pear tree. They arrived and left in random numbers, leaving a sky full of contrails. Well, ok, it seemed that way. At any given time, the pond was full of birds. Of course, our 2 resident Canada geese observed all of this with the sanguine demeanor of expectant parents. Only the gods of goosedom know how many fuzzy little children from hell will be unleashed from those small ovoid cradles brewing evil in the nest of doom. Suffice it to say, unless the goose family is somehow coaxed or threatened from our premises, it will become goose poop central within a few days after the blessed event. My lovely bride has obtained a small bullhorn from the Oracles of Amazon. Upon hearing it in test, my ears fled town for several days, leaving a threatening note behind. That should scare the little demons right back into their shells. We’ll see all too soon. Many of today’s issue of birds are still on the pond as the sun sets and our little aerodrome closes the runways for the night.

Well, the pond critters have welcomed some new little feathered folks to their number. First, of course, were the wood ducks, who joined the party late during last year’s migration. About 2 weeks ago we were visited for the first time by several small flocks of hooded mergansers. They’re clad in feathered duds sufficiently ornamental to rival their well garbed cousins, the wood ducks. Yesterday saw the arrival of several ring neck ducks, which, thanks to distance, careless observation and general feeble mindedness, we mistook for wood ducks. More the shame, for other than feathers, wings and waders, they bear no resemblance whatsoever to one another. However, they do differ a significant way in their feeding habits. The ring necks are diving ducks and the wood ducks are dabbling ducks. That’s obviously because ring neck ducks dive for their food, popping out of sight and popping up somewhere several feet from were they submerged. And, yes, dabbler ducks dabble, feeding on shallow grasses as they splash and make a generally noisy nuisance of themselves Today a flock of 8 ring neck ducks (7 males and a female) dropped in. My observations on that: 1, they’re beautiful little guys and 2. she must be a very busy little lady.