The windows here at The Room overlook a pond occupied by a small flock of Mallard ducks. Recently, a group of Canada Geese has been in residence, as well. Here is a link to the sound I wake to each morning. The pond is just outside of my bedroom, and the ducks seem to favor my side of the water at sunrise. They take a morning stroll across the lawn at about 7:00 am every day; I suspect that one of the neighbors throws out some seed at about that time each morning.
One poor drake has a backwards foot. I don't know whether this is due to a birth defect or an injury. It makes him a bit of a pegleg, and he hobbles when he walks. The social worker in me wants to connect him to services. I wonder if there is a local nature group or veterinarian who might be able to correct his defect. He's still pretty functional, but I wonder how well he will be able to evade the cats lurking around if he's caught any distance from the water when one appears. I guess that's natural selection, but I don't have to like it.
I don't have any photos of my ducks to share right now. I'm posting this at night, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to try to take a picture. I'll shoot for an image of the ducks for Fave Foto Friday this week. Here's an image of a Mallard I found online:
