Duckling Delight

This morning a mother and her ducklings were roaming the lily pads near Elderberry Island, where the leaves are the greenest green and all the berries are turning red.

There is a lot to see…

…and a lot to learn for a young duckling.

Luckily, their mother leads by example and the ducklings learn that there are tasty morsels beneath the lily pads.

It is just a matter of looking.

They have also learned to take comfort in staying close to their siblings.

Sometimes it is like looking in a mirror…

…and sometimes it is like having…

…eyes in the back of your head.

Still it is easy to get distracted with grooming and ignore the world around you.

It is a good thing their mother keeps an eye out for danger particularly when the ducklings are trying to catch a little, shut-eye with their beaks beneath their wings. Someday this will be an easy task but given the current size of beaks and wings it's a challenge.

Trying to fly with these tiny little wings would also be an uphill battle.

Luckily, even at this young age…

…their feet can reach their chins as needed.

 Staying close together has a number of advantages.

It makes telling secrets easy…

…but the middle child does seem to get it from both sides.

 It is also easy to hear your siblings sing...

 …even when you would rather be asleep.

 However when you are asleep it is easier to stay warm…

…when you are snuggled tightly between to your siblings.

 Although sometimes the togetherness…

…can get a bit overwhelming…

…and one simply has to get away…

…and find your own little bush to hide behind. (Learning to hide is a critically important skill for a duckling since there are many creatures that have a different interpretation of duckling delight.)

Have a great day on Union Bay…where nature lives in the city!

Larry