The Day the Ducks Owned the Meadow

During the month of March the meadow at Halibut Point hosted a succession of sovereigns.

Ring-necked Pheasant

Some came to glean the seed bounty of last year's crop of grasses and wildflowers.

Eastern Bluebird

The bright onset of spring encouraged Bluebirds to consider homesteading in waiting nesting boxes.

Soggy Bluebird

Then came days and days of rain that flooded the meadow. Bluebirds had to adapt their hunt for insects in the field, or go hungry.

The Bluebird perched on high ground

The rainfall was a boon to some birds, a setback to others, as the meadow spawned an enormous puddle.

Mallard Ducks

Ducks had had to get through the winter on a diet of shoreline seaweed. The emergent meadow vegetation presented an unusual foraging opportunity. The lake-sized puddle was big enough for their landings and takeoffs.

Crows approaching

Crows, alert to all prospects of food, waded in for a look. The ducks watched balefully.

When a crow got a little too close to Mrs. Mallard, Mr. Mallard gave it a stern warning.

The paddle-billed drake took a convincing stance against the proximity and intentions, innocent or thuggish, of the spear-billed crow.

Wood Frog

All that rain filled nearby vernal ponds to the brim. Wood Frogs quacked steadily in their duck-like mating calls. They're one of the earliest amphibians to emerge from hibernation.

Northern Flicker

And now April. The month of showers has nudged spring along in various weather patterns but no further torrential rains. The water in the meadow has subsided. New sovereigns have taken the field.