Duck Pond

I am into my archives for this shot of the duck (and goose) pond at James Gardens. It is the surrounding vegetation that makes this such a lovely spot with mature willow trees and wonderful grasses. This is one of my favourite places in the city but I don't happen to be out in that area much anymore. I will have to make a point of going for trip to visit soon.
 

A Crowd Of Ducks

 

The crowd of ducks in the foreground has attracted the 2 ducks in the upper half of this shot. They were rushing over to see if they were missing out on something. Spotted at James Gardens.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Looking Ducky

 

I am back to my archives for this pic of the ducks at James Gardens. I haven't been to visit them all winter but it will soon be time for an excursion to see how they have weathered this winter.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Finding Water

 

That is not a pond those ducks are in but rather is a large puddle beside the pond which had a lot of ice on its surface. The Mallards didn't seem to care.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Nicer Days

 

I was going through my archives looking for a good shot of some ducks at James Gardens when I cam across this shot from last September. It was a beautiful day at the park and all the Mallards were relaxing. It will be nice when those days return in spring.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

The Duck Pond

 

One of my favourite places to wander when I have the time is around the duck pond at James Gardens. This shot was taken at the end of September on a very warm day and it is interesting that the ducks were all staying in the shade even when swimming in the pond. Smart birds.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Ducks In Autumn

 

I did go to visit the ducks at James Gardens a couple of weeks ago and found that they were all juveniles. The adults must have been out foraging somewhere else. In this shot there are 2 females and 2 males (with the yellow beaks) but the males have not finished their final molts so there were no bright metallic heads or other colourings. There certainly were a lot of ducks so it must have been a good summer for raising chicks.

This post is for those of you who were missing my duck pics. 

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

The Artist

 

I have often admired this wonderful old Willow tree at James Gardens and on a recent trip to visit the ducks there, this woman was spotted doing a painting of it. It must take bravery to paint outside in public like that. I don't think that I could do it.

So Cute

 

During my walk at James Gardens I saw at least 6 chipmunks scurrying around looking for bits to eat. They are so cute. This one froze when it saw me but eventually disappeared under those leaves.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Summer Colour

 

I was wandering around James Gardens last week and this large growth of pink Astilbe caught my eye. There was a big patch of white too but this pink won out.

Synchronized

 

This duck couple could try out for the olympics with their synchronized moves. They create so much current in the water when they do these dives.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Time For A Nap

 

There was not a lot of action at the pond in James Gardens during a recent visit. These ducks were so sound asleep that none of them moved at all as I approached them. I didn't disturb them.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE  to see more creatures from around the world.

Blackbird Sitting In A Tree

 

This handsome fellow was sitting high in a tree in James Gardens singing away. Another Blackbird further away was answering back so there was quite a choir. Red-wing Blackbirds are always a sign to me that spring is really here.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

A Display

 This is yesterday's duck who put on quite a display as one of the male Mallards walked towards it. The Mallard stopped in his tracks.

A Mystery To Me

 In a pond quite full of male Mallard Ducks there was this one unusual duck. It was a lot larger than the rest of the ducks. I wonder if it is some kind of cross with a domestic one. Any ideas?

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Spring Beauty

With the cooler temperatures we have been having the Magnolia flowers are lasting quite a long time. I took this shot a week ago at James Gardens and loved the white flowers against the green background.

A Sweet Couple

 There are couples of Canada Geese wandering around all over the city as they get ready to build nests and start a family. This fairly calm pair was spotted at James Gardens and they were paying little attention to the humans which is not always the case as often the geese go into protective mode and become very noisy.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Winter Grasses

Despite our unusual weather the gardens at James Gardens have been left untouched so the winter grasses are still blowing in the wind. I loved the contrast with the red branches.

Snowdrop Swaths

I was at James Gardens a week ago and there were large areas with lovely swaths of Snowdrops. No snow but lots of flowers.

On The March

This group of Canada Geese had decided to change locations and were on the march near the pond at James Gardens. They proceeded to the parking lot where they stopped traffic while they slowly strolled across the road. They are the bosses. 

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.