Where have the birds gone?

Alas! Now that the snow is gone, so are the birds...here is a fond memory of a cardinal who visited me just weeks ago!

DUCK POND REPORT: FIRST WARM DAY OF THE YEAR

First warm day of the year!

This was the first warm day of the year and I had not visited the duckpond since the snow was piled heavily on the ground in January.  I could hardly wait!

The duck pond was a veritable hotbed of spring activity.  The livliest day yet in the duckpond!  After a brief flurry to celebrate my arrival, the ducks forgot I was there and settled down to frisky activites.  

The Smew

The small black and white smew was taking an extremely long and exuberant bath, splashing all over the pond and making huge amounts of bubbles.  Between dippings he raced around the pond as if pursued by someone. I checked to see if a female skew was in sight (or any pursuer at all) but saw no one.

The Mandarins

 Then a cute pair of mandarin ducks were billing and cooing and the male appeared to plant a kiss of sorts on his “friend.”

The Silver Wood Ducks 

The silver wood duck drakes surrounded a hen, while the silver wood duck potential mate was totally ignored. She stood quietly off to the side while a fuss was made over the brown hen who was quite taken with all the attention. At one point two silver drakes appear to lear at her. Later she kisses one of them and also leans down into the water to speak to a third silver candidate.  She eventually paired

off with one of the silver drakes and the others disappear. I wonder what happened to the regular greenish wood duck.

The White Mandarins

Last but not least the white mandarins made beautiful scenes against the white patches of snow and hung out together as usual.

I was hoping for some action between the hooded mergansers but they just hung out together quietly.

Respectfully submitted,  Carol

My Snowy Mornings in Farmington Exhibit (January 2009)

Thought I would post a photo of my nature exhibit for the month of January. It was in a lovely gallery of a museum called "Stanley Whitman" in Farmington Connecticut. This is my favorite corner of the exhibit. It was called "Snowy Mornings in Farmington." Currently I have another exhibit in the Farmington library for February. I will post a photo of it soon.

My first birdfeeder

Little did I realize until last month that my barren deck normally so deserted in winter could be a place with live creatures and colors. Braving December's first big snowstorm, I went to one of the few landscape stores still open at 5pm and begged for help.

I emerged with my first bird feeder, free advice (my girlfriend helped too! ) and alot of ... you guessed it, many many SEEDS!! The attached bird is one of my first visitors the next snowy morning, much to my delight. Can you identify this bird?