Ducks and a Redwing

Ducks, seen as usual in a couple, swim along the shoreline.  Another Redwing Blackbird perched on a narrow branch and just showing those wonderful colors!

Bridge and Allee

The rustic finish on the footbridge in the last post is quite different from the white-and-Kremlin Yellow panel bridge seen here, leading to a small tranquil pond. The wooden boxes seen in the pond are nesting boxes and a pair of ducks were standing atop one. A bit further on we came to the pair of corral fences bracketing an "allee" leading to some of the farm buildings. The powerful shadows on the trees would be quite different a week later, as trees all across DuPage County have seen their leaves spring open, making birdwatching tougher but treewatching more fun.

More on the French-inspired allees in the next post, which will be the 100th post for RickBeatoPhoto.

More Feathered Friends

We have several visiting songbirds of all sorts, many of which pop up in the branches of a Burning Bush right outside our dining room window. This affords me an opportunity to use the house as a gigantic "blind" as I shoot the birds from quite close quarters. Tiny as they are, they are skittish and even if I am completely invisible to them, they never perch for very long. Even the grey-colored birds are beautiful and intricate in their feather display.

Ducks also stop by every spring, often swimming in our koi pond. The first time I saw that from my patio door I had a strange feeling of recognition. Then I remembered that when Tony Soprano started on his journey through analysis and activity, his ducks were in a swimming pool. Mine were in a koi pond. No analysis needed.

Some summery looks at the garden in the next post.