CHECKING IN
We decided to take a walk at Randall Park this past week, just to check in with our duck and goose friends to see how they were doing. As usual, they came running up when we arrived, even though we did not have any cracked corn to give them that day. I wanted to take some video, so we immediately headed to the pond viewing platform, where we saw some old friends that we first met almost exactly one year ago.
The sweet little ducks in the picture above are American Wigeons, which I wrote about in my blog on January 23, 2019. These ducks are much smaller than the other ducks, and they have a sweet little high-pitched quack of sorts. You can hear them in the background of this video. With their subtle coloring, they are just beautiful.
In addition to the ducks, we saw several Canada Geese on the pond. This guy below wasn't shy at all about showing us his butt since it meant that he could forage around on the pond bottom. This style of feeding is called "dabbling," and I know you've probably heard the term "dabbling ducks." However, if geese use this style of feeding they are not called "dabbling geese" because that term refers just to ducks as a classification. This feeding style is also called "tipping up." I think it should be called "Bottoms Up!"
A good portion of the pond was frozen over enough so that the ducks could walk on it. This Mallard couple looked like they were trying out for the Olympic Games in the Pairs Ice Skating event. It also appears that Mrs. Mallard was going for the Singles Skating event as well. I give them both a 10.
We weren't the only ones watching the ducks. Across the pond on the shore sat a kitty, silently watching as the ducks swam in the water about two feet from her. Granted, it was a cold morning and given how much cats love getting wet, I can understand why she was content just to watch.
A BACKYARD SIGHTING
Yesterday while we were working on the puzzle, I happened to look out the window and spotted a Cedar Waxwing sitting in the big Catalpa tree next door. I ran into the bedroom to look out that window in hopes of seeing one in our yard. A couple of them were in our huge pyracantha bush, so I immediately grabbed my camera and started taking video. It was late afternoon and I was shooting through a dirty window with lots of reflections, so the quality is not as good as I would have wanted. Still, some kind of video is better than none at all.
We used to see Cedar Waxwings a lot in our yard in North Carolina in the wintertime. They do not seem to be as common around here, but we have seen them from time to time. Cedar Waxwings just love to eat berries, and that is the main reason why we planted so many berry-bearing bushes in our yard here in Yakima. Over the years they periodically visit our yard to feast on our pyracantha berries, which seem to be their favorite. I was so happy to be able to get some video of one doing just that.
You can tell the bird in the second half of this video below is a juvenile due to the streaked breast. I believe the one in the first half is an adult, or else at least a one-year old juvenile because it doesn't have a streaked breast. It amazes me that they can swallow these berries whole!
The feathers on the Cedar Waxwings look so smooth and soft, almost like velvet. I remember years ago back in the 70's, my mother found an injured Cedar Waxwing in our yard and brought it in the house in a box. She kept it on top of the washing machine and nursed it back to health. I remember looking at it and thinking it was one of the most beautiful birds I had ever seen. After a day or two, she took the box outside and let it go. The bird flew off, none the worse for its brief capture.
PARTING SHOT
Summer Girl hasn't been very active lately. I can't say as I blame her because the weather has been pretty much dark and dreary, perfect for napping. I managed to catch her up and about in the house this morning. She was not interested in performing for the camera and sauntered off to continue her napping.
That's all for this week, my friends. Join me again next week for more from the Southerner in the Northwest!
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