About Everything But a Unicorn

A beautiful drake Northern Shoveler (1 of 2) contently taking in the afternoon sun

Yesterday's relative warmth (low fifties) and brilliant sunshine made for ideal conditions to observe spring ducks "being ducks" (see explanation from last spring). We are slowly building a library of solid images of each of these visitors. Yesterday helped, as I kept the camera at the ready as we drove the entire property by truck and by Mule.

Dikes were very dry for this time of year. But we knew that wouldn't last long -- there is soaking rain in the forecast for today and for Thursday of this week and the "winter-like pattern" is supposed to return fast and extend well into April (the ten day forecast now shows plenty of 40s, 30s, and even 20s with decent chances of precip and lots more northeast wind -- yuck, I just hope we don't jump from winter to summer and skip right over spring).

So while we checked water levels,  monitored the extent of dike wash, opened and closed some gates, and filled a good number of low spots on the West Marsh dikes (from a strategically positioned clay stash), the camera was never far from reach. As Roy rightly pointed out, the second you don't have the camera is the second you're sure to see a unicorn.

No unicorns yesterday, but I did see (and photograph) plenty of ducks. I can confirm seeing nine of what I consider our "Top Ten" -- all but the wood duck. Pintails were still dominant with decent numbers of shovelers, gadwall, wigeon, and green-wings. I can also add mallards (though not as many as one would expect), black ducks, common and hooded mergansers. Sprinkle in a few individual blue-wings and blue bills, tons of geese, a dozen or so swans, plenty of grebes, and rafts of coots, and there was plenty to observe and enjoy on the water and on the wing. Makes for a nice way to spend a day.

2 of 2 . . .
Just like last year, these guys are
prevalent in the marsh this spring

This drake Gadwall was paying careful attention to his full spring plumage;
unfortunately, all his preening took place behind a curtain of willows
and dead loosestrife

While the Pied-billed Grebe is often overlooked as a non-game "fish eater," I never tire of watching and hearing them;
they are to be commended for tireless fishing/hunting and their shrill call takes my mind right to the water

Poor lighting can't even take away from the beauty of these Northern Pintails
-- as of yesterday, they were still the dominant duck in the marsh
with flocks in multiple units approaching, if not exceeding a thousand

Common Mergansers (females or non-breeding males)
uniquely stationed atop a decaying Phrag root clump
(as always, remember to CLICK TO ENLARGE)