Gorgeous skies.
Closer....
Looking west.
The people you can barely make out in the bottom of this next pic are part of the band, on their way to the band shell, to put on a concert. We'll have to walk that way, one day, so I can show you the band shell.....
I counted seven ducks in the pond. I can't tell the babies from the mother anymore.
Ducks, and ripples.
Ducks. On a mission?
The ducks were doing a lot of flapping. Exercising their wings, getting ready for flight. I tried to catch them "on film" but failed.
Then I believe the mother gave them some sort of sign, and two of them took off with her.
When ducks take off, they run along the surface of the water, flapping their wings, until they get enough speed to get airborne.
That's what you see below, the immediate aftermath of three ducks, taking off!
Two more of the ducks on the pond took off just after the first group of three. Two more did not fly while I watched. Two of the five that flew came back pretty soon. The other three never came back while I watched.
In past years I have seen the mother take them up, do a loop around the park, and then come back. I've never seen ducks take off or land except on open water.... When they land, they water ski along the top of the water as they lose speed.
I didn't wait a terribly long time, on the 22nd, for the group I believe was the mother and two kids to come back to the pond, but they did not come back. I wondered if she was showing them where the river is. Or something. Giving them a sense of the bigger world, with other bodies of water, as well as encouraging them to fly longer and longer distances, to strengthen their wings for migration...........
It was a fabulous night in the park. Flowers everywhere, amazing skies overhead, interesting wildlife to observe, a band getting ready for a concert, and a softball game on the diamond. This park is a terrific amenity for the neighborhood and the city.
One last look toward the west.
Back at my house, enjoying my daylilies.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment