… the adventure went swimmingly!
This walk took place on June 16th, the day after my “Gosling-palooza” post. I’d already been on multiple “missions” to find and photograph goslings, so I was ready to give that quest a rest. Since “baby duckling time” is usually around Father’s Day, I hustled to Heritage Park in search of some of those sweet feathered babies.
I had a few items on my “want list” on this soon-to-be Summer morning. I wanted to check on the goslings that I’d chronicled since Mama was incubating them. I knew I’d recognize the family as there was a discernible runt, a gosling much smaller than its siblings and yes, I still owe you a tale about that Mama Goose and her offspring.
I was also on the hunt for baby Barn Swallows for a future post, so I made a point to look in the rafters of the covered bridge for eyes peering at me over their nest. I hoped I could tick off each “want” on my list, then head for home by high noon as it was another blazing hot day.
Fluff and feathers.
The Cottonwood fluff was a’flyin’ due to the many Poplar trees scattered around the park. Fluff lined the asphalt pathway …
… and drifted lazily in the slight breeze, settling onto the grass and the surface of Coan Lake as you see by all the white dots in this photo.
As I neared Coan Lake, I shaded my eyes and squinted a bit to find any Mama Mallards with their ducklings. In the past I’ve seen several families of ducklings swimming behind their respective Mamas in a neat queue all on the same day. Quickly my eyes alighted on the one and only Mama Mallard with her three ducklings. They were so tiny that if you blinked you’d miss them.
These sweet babies were all over the map instead of trailing obediently behind Mama. Why you ask? The ducklings were distracted by the Cottonwood fluff as seen below.
I had to smile as I watched each duckling lift up its body and briefly go airborne, those wide webbed feet paddling furiously to keep it afloat, while trying to catch one of those prized pieces of fluff. More often than not, the duckling fell backward into the water without nabbing that fluff, sometimes ending up with it plastered to their bill.
Look at this guy (or gal) … such a little soul stirring up such a large wake.
Mama had her eye on her ducklings as well as casting a side-eye toward me. Interestingly, unlike the Canada Goose gander which watches over his mate and his brood, I have never seen the Mallard drake take such an active interest to guard his ducklings – this was the case here. I guess Mama’s got it all handled, huh? Here’s that proud Mama.
This duckling was eager to swim by Mama’s side, tired of messing with the Cottonwood fluff, but …
… its siblings strayed over to the seawall because the fluff, once it landed on the surface of Coan Lake, drifted toward the edges of this manmade pond and glommed together.
That was a bummer for me as the ducklings were so tiny, that even as I cautiously peered over the edge, the babies were often clustered against the seawall and, although it was hot, I didn’t care to join them for a swim.
Mama was uneasy about me as I hovered nearby, despite me speaking in a calm voice while assuring her I meant no harm to her or her babies. Eventually she sounded an “alarm quack” intended to summon her offspring to her side, but kids will be kids, even if they are the feathered variety and the two ducklings at the seawall didn’t heed the call.
Growing irritated with the ducklings’ shenanigans, she quacked a little louder and this time the pair zoomed over to Mama. I struggled to get photos as they moved so quickly. I guess they knew she meant business! 🙂
Mama guided her brood over to the turtle ramp. She went up the ramp, expecting them to follow, but they would have none of that and stayed afloat still playing with the fluff. Mama waddled back down the ramp into the water, then they all disappeared beneath the covered bridge to hang out, a move designed to show the lady with the camera a thing or two!
Patience is a virtue sometimes.
Tapping my foot, while scoping out Barn Swallow babies in the rafters, I waited 15 minutes for the four to emerge on the other side of the bridge. Mama guided her little darlings right into the greenish, goo-covered water near the old Sawmill. Evidently the turtles were happy to climb onto the rocks to escape the slimy water.
The fountain on this side of the bridge was too far away to help disperse the green goo.
The algae was so thick that I pictured the ducklings’ downy feathers stuck together from the mucky water rendering them unable to paddle. The scene looked like an Impressionist painting gone terribly wrong, with water so murky that I’m surprised I could get any reflections … but I did, albeit not the greatest.
The duck family, seemingly oblivious to the muck and mire, paddled around …
… sticking closer to Mama than they did earlier. Perhaps they were intimidated by the funky-looking mess?
I decided to call it done with the ducky crowd, but first, I stopped near the shoreline as I saw something embedded in the grass.
I bent closer and zoomed in. It appeared this Mallard nest was recently abandoned and a few pieces of the eggshells were still inside; likely it belonged to my feathered friends who are the subject of this post.
I was done as it was heating up, so I headed to the car, happy for the outing and a photo card filled with fun and babies!
P.S. – I returned 18 days later, on the 4th of July, to find the same family, but there were no other new Mallard families unfortunately. The babies now looked like mirror images of Mama – gone were the fuzzy little ducklings I had oohed and aahed over earlier.
I am sure the one duckling here is saying: “Hey Mama – the lady who pestered us when we were babies is back!”
I know it is the same family as I walked the entire campus of Heritage Park where the waterfowl hang out (mostly around Coan Lake) and these were the only Mama and ducklings. Yes, sadly it appears that one of the trio did not make it – nature is cruel sometimes.
Terri’s Sunday Stills Photo Challenge today is: In the Swim.