Wednesday’s Photos
The Ice-Free Pond
Last week I showed a lone cattail at a frozen pond. Two days ago, we visited the pond again and found that all the ice had melted with daytime temperatures climbing way above freezing. A pair of mallard ducks had already returned from their winter quarters and settled nicely in their seasonal residence. It is an ideal place for the ducks with plenty of water to frolik in and clumps of tall grasses and reeds to hide from predators. For me, it was hard to get a good view to capture them with my camera. A brief walk across the road is our favourite viewpoint. Dark clouds made the BC Hydro powerline and the lake below look more dramatic. Enjoy.
The Peter and Gertrud Klopp Family 
Mallards are so beautiful. There’s a pond near us where we often walk, and the mallards and geese and swans have returned there also.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hallo Peter, der See bietet jeden Tag ein neues Naturschauspiel. Einfach schön. LG Wolfgang
LikeLiked by 1 person
Danke, lieber Wolfgang!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for sharing your photos, Peter. The mallards light up the landscape. Change is definitely on the horizon. In a few days, we went from a low of -27 F, after winter storms that had dumped more than 4 feet of snow, to 45 F. Looking forward to the migration of all the birds. Have a great day!
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is hope for you living in Alaska. Warmer temperatures and perhaps a bit of sunshine will cheer you up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, warmer temperatures are great and the longer hours of daylight are very welcome! 😎
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very handsome birds. I was just reading a bit about them, and they’re listed as “dabbling ducks,” the kind that tip forward to eat, and don’t dive. So that’s my word of the day, I’ll have to try to work that into conversation, dabbling.
I like your dramatic shot of the metal tower, too, like an alien totem.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The words ‘dabbling ducks’ are new to me. Your description of the ducks we observed at the pond is dead on. Thank you, Steve!
LikeLike
It’s looking good … still night frosts in little Denmark … 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
We had lots of sunshine lately, but clear nights are always connected to frosty nights.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, same hear, but also rain in betwixt. At least I don’t have to water the flowerbeds like I had to the last two years in April … 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Peter — thanks for showing us what you see in your strolls around your Arrow Lakes!
LikeLiked by 1 person
frolik ist ein klasse Wort.
Kommt es aus dem deutschen?
Ich kann mich schwach erinnern es schon mal gesehen zu haben.
Schöne Fotos, Peter!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Vielleicht haben frolik und fröhlich dieselbe Wurzel.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oder frohlocken😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do enjoy the mallards. I’m glad you have them, too. They can seem somewhat fond of human companionship; they certainly aren’t skittish, and that makes them fine subjects for photographers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The duck you saw on my blog is together with his ‘wife’ the inhabitant of this rather remote pond. They are not accustomed to having human beings around and one needs to approach them rather carefully to get a good picture. Thank you, LInda!
LikeLike
Great to get these views from the other side of the world. A smile often makes its way to my lips when I see your images of natural life.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It makes me happy to see you smile at the images from a beautiful corner of our planet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have heard this name of duck for the first time.
LikeLiked by 2 people
People tend to take mallards for granted which is too bad because they really are lovely ducks. These are not easy birds to approach so it is nice that you got some good views.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Steve!
LikeLiked by 2 people