Wednesday, August 27, 2008

4 cygnets on the '911 pond'


Another rainy day. I bicycle to the '911 pond'. The bush road to the pond is actually not as wet as I anticipated. I can bike all the way to the last swamp just before the end of the road. I enjoy the fragrance of Fall. There is one lemony smell that I have often encountered around willows,roses and grass. Does any one knows what I mean? I have never yet figured it out.

Today I am going to take a different approach, in relation to the birds. Right as I come into the meadow, I realize there are a lot of birds on the pond. I am not going to go around staying close to the forest. They always notice me anyway. The swans will hide and the ducks fly off. Today I go in a straight line towards the pond, quietly and slowly. It seems to work, no one notices me. And there are a lot of birds! I try to make photos every time I get a little closer, which is hard because it is still raining, my camera is not waterproof.
Maybe tonight I will look at the photos and identify some of the ducks. Most ducks are in the west side of the pond. Straight ahead where the Swans nest, are two ducks diving, showing a white bum.
When I am half way to the pond, the marsh grass is O.K to walk through with my rain boots, I spot the two white heads of the swans sticking out above the grass. I am very happy, as over the summer I sometimes wouldn't even get a glimpse.
Close to the main pond, there is a little pond and I can't get any closer to the main pond. But gloriously a swan appears for a swim, and to my great joy it is followed by 4 cygnets and its partner. I am so happy!
I am not a birder and don't know much, but I found watching the swans, they are so cautious and elegant I guess, unlike the ducks, who when they would see me make a racket and all fly off. The Swan never really lets me know if it has seen me. After a short swim with its brood, it just disappears in the reeds again. One adult remains on the look out it seems.

As I came to a stop at the little pond, I do decide know to move east to higher ground. Crossing the channel of this little pond I do get one soaker. In the mean time it stopped raining, the mountains are trying to show and there are patches of sunlight. As I sit on a grassy spot, the swans come out one more time, for all but a minute.
A flock of brown birds, feeds in the grass and I think I see a Savannah Sparrow. The grasses are turning color and there are not many flowers, but in the little pond there are yellow Bladderworts blooming! (Utricularia intermedia).
Another beautiful time in the wild, Thank you!

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