The Fading Light

NeNe Geese

The was brilliant sun today but unfortunately I had to work late so  it was fading by the time I arrived at the small duck pond at 6:30..  It was hard to get sharp pictures because of the rapidly dimming light.   The Ne Ne Geese (a lovely tan brown and black striped goose from Hawaii) were for the first time NOT hanging shyly toward the back fence and seemed to be dialoguing with each other, crossing necks in a fasinating x-shaped pattern.

Silver Wood Duck

Rosybill Drake

The silver Wood Duck as well as female brown rosybill were both taking their evening baths, flapping their wings as they dried off.   Due to the fading light I could most clearly see the silver duck whose

Mandarin Drake

 feathers were lit up by the sun due to the place he’d positioned himself in the pond.  The colorful mandarin drake was intently cleaning off his feathers from an earlier bath.

The Abyssinian Geese

The blue Winged Abyssinina drake had found a place in the sun and was stationed on the highest post, functioning as “Acting Sentinnel” of the pond again. 

Abyssinian Goose

Impeyan Pheasant

The most brightly lit of all the birds was the usually shy pheasant who had found the only still sunny spot in the pool and grabbed it for himself, preening and showing off his beautiful iridescent and electric blue, orange, chartreuse and ocre-yellow colours.  I rarely used to see the pheasant who formerly preferred to hide behind a bush whenever he saw me but now he does not seem to care.  

The Swans

Whooper Swan

By 7pm it was totally impossible to see many of the ducks so I wandered over to the larger pond to take a look at the swans and larger geese.

The swans were winding down for the night as well, drifting around in a leisurely manner or slowly cleaning off their feathers for the night.  The Whooper made lovely curved patterns against the sunset as he curved his neck at graceful angles, trying

to reach every last feather.

The tall trees in back of the pond made beautiful and striking patterns over the water, appearing almost to give the swans a “striped” background against the rosy glow of the evening.

I felt he mosquitoes attack me even this early in the season so after the fourth keenly felt bite I hurried back toward the car.