Buffleheads and Mallards

 The mallards have been back with us for several weeks now. It must be the same pair -- they arrive, and almost immediately present themselves at the barn to say howdy to the hens and help themselves to chicken feed.  In their full breeding plumage, the drakes are gorgeous, and this one was at great pains to impress his lady friend.  The ducks seem quite oblivious to the high water levels. If anything, it is making their hunting along the shores for food easier.

A bit farther out, and too shy to come in close enough for the "money shot" is a small flock of bufflehead ducks. These are the smallest of the fishing, or diving, ducks, and look striking with their white heads.  They visit us in Spring and Fall as they follow their migration routes north and south.  Unlike the Canada geese who no longer seem to bother to migrate...

Taffy was pretty determined to get up close and personal with the ducks, but they cheat, and swim too far out, and the water was too cold for swimming. She is remembering that she fell off the main dock a few days ago and it was icy!!!