Snow Birds

I happened upon some of my winter photos and am sharing them just as a diary so I can use them to compare next winter. 

This was my view out my kitchen window, after it snowed. 

As the local ponds froze, we had some duck visitors. 

I suppose the sight of a bit of liquid water lured them in. 

They made themselves quite at home on our partially solid, partially liquid pond.

 Our aeration bubblers prevent the pond from freezing completely.

There were a couple of different types of ducks over a few days, but I only got these pictures of the merganser duck family.

Thanks to my zoom lens, I didn't have to sit in the bushes in the freezing cold to get this shot.

We don't ordinarily get many ducks on our pond.
A mating pair in Spring occasionally, or a hungry solo flyer every once in a while.

(Sneaky wildlife photographer stays warm and undetected in cozy house.)  

For some reason, we don't have any ducks who have taken up permanent residence in our pond. 

We try to welcome them with this duck nest attached to the tree, but so far,  no one has taken advantage of it. 

So happy to be swimming in freezing cold water and air. 

 Crazy. I don't get it. 

Zoom back to the porch.

 I love this one with the finches on the bird feeder out my kitchen window. 

I had so many grateful  birds this winter. 

Back to the ducks. They would dip under the water, pass under the ice bridges and move to another section of pond. Smart. 

In addition to the mohawk hairstyle (which I never managed to get a good shot of), the mergansers have long pointy bills and gray and white wings. 

They seemed so happy to have found us, but when the pond thawed they quickly abandoned us. Apparently their own ponds are superior. 

Duck super-power factoid: they stand on ice indefinitely. 

Can you imagine doing this in your bare feet?

And when tired of standing, they sit. 

They are obviously quite adaptable to the winter cold.

Me, not so much. 

I much prefer the Spring, Summer and Fall. 

Looking so forward to the predicted return of sunshine this weekend.