After I came back from London in mid October, the Pond already looked deserted. Suddenly in the last few days my Air (Avian) B&B was buzzing with activities again. The Pond had become the meeting place of waterfowls making their last stop before heading south.
Here are some of them on a sunny, cheery afternoon. So glad to see signs of life before the big chill. Forecast for next week’s lowest temperature: -24C (-11F).
Pardon me for not showing my regulars the Mallards, but it’s the infrequent guests that I treasure more; although still ‘common’, there are just less of them than Mallards. Here are the Buffleheads. Like they’re right out of a Monet painting. No colour alteration here:
My favourite has to be Mrs. Merganser. No matter what time of day, she looks like Lucille Ball just out of bed. Her uncombed, red hair stands out particularly:
Up in the sky, more Canada Geese getting ready to land on the Pond, joining the late Autumn sendoff party:
Less convivial on land, I’m afraid. Why, it’s all brown and barren. The white-tailed deer filling up in the evening sun. Yes, it looks desolate. Dry shrubs are all that’s left for food.
And -20’s C. next week? Good time to tackle the piles of books on my bedside table.
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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.
Ripple Effects 
Desolate, but starkly beautiful. It’s very cold in your neck of the woods! Love the geese in the sky and the deer in the sunshine… Enjoy your reading season. 🙂
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Thanks Barbara. Sometimes, I’d rather prefer the winter scene when all this is blanketed with snow than the barren brown that’s now. 😉
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Lovely scenes. They are threatening lowland snow for us next week. Stay warm!
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Snow for you Ellen? Join the party. 🙂
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What gorgeous skies. Don’t you love it when the color is just perfect like that? Yesterday we were watching a colorize Lucy Christmas special and I had to smile as you described the duck. The buff heads — wow. Never seen those!
Yes, the DA special is playing here. Pledge time! Fun to see my old “friends” again!
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Jeanie,
It was so far away. If I’d a more powerful tele lens I might be able to show you much more clearly Lucille’s hairdo. 🙂
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Great shots! I really love the close-ups of the “friends” in the pond…and then all of them in flight.
Thanks for sharing, and here’s MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST
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That’s so cold! Is it possible to go outside when it is like that?
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Denise,
It’s business as usual. Mind you, the hour when the temp. will dip so low is likely the overnight hours. But during the day, temp. next week is forecast to be around the -16C Even when we have – 20’s C, we still go about our daily chores as usual. Kids still go to school, buses still run, offices open…
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Lovely photos. It’s nice to see some wildlife photos for a change. I can’t believe the temperatures are dropping so quickly here in Toronto, not like how you’re getting slammed but sweater weather one day to parka weather the next. We’re supposed to get snow next weekend too. I hope you enjoy getting to your books 🙂
Here’s my
WoW
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Welcome Kimberly. You’ll see it’s mostly wild life here on Ripple Effects. By the Pond here, mainly avian as I’m an avid birder, but whatever that mingles in Nature that I capture with my camera. Other than that, it’s books and movies.
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It’s 54F here right now, and rained all day. You would think we’re in the Arctic, if you saw all the coats and boots and scarves and gloves! When I saw that temperature for you, I thought, “Oh, no. It’s too soon!” But it is December. I still can’t believe we’re nearly to solstice, and Christmas.
Like you, I love the mergansers. I see them here, but perhaps only once or twice a year. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a bufflehead. They remind me of another duck here, but I’m not even sure what it is. I’m eager to hear some geese — I hope to find some at the refuges — if the weather ever clears enough to go down there.
But mallards? Oh, my. Ours arrived about three weeks ago, and it’s such fun to see that some of the regulars are back. It’s easy to pick out a few because of the patterns that have resulted from their interbreeding with the muscovy, but others still remember the call that means “there’s food over here!”
Tomorrow’s the second Sunday in Advent — again, how can this be? A blessed season to you!
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Linda,
As a matter of fact, I see Mallards all winter. Don’t think they even fly anywhere. Canada Geese too, I’d seen them in deep winter. Some people told me they stay around, maybe just to nearby warmer spots. These creatures are so used to the cold now. More so than we humans, I suppose. After decades of living here, I’m still wary of winter. Mind you, I’ve seen people in t-shirts and shorts once the temp. get back to zero!
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There’s a fellow here who goes barefooted all through the winter. He lives aboard a boat, and I only see him there. He may well put on shoes when he “goes to town.”
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You made me laugh about Lucille the duck. I’m also noticing different birds this season, and some of last winter’s birds have come through, too… maybe to stay, and maybe from places like yours that are SO much colder! I’m cold this very minute, and I think it a very fitting state in which to read about your freezing North!
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GretchenJoanna,
Indeed, every time I see a female Merganser I think of Lucille. Not only her hairdo, her demeanour too. Look at her again. Too bad I didn’t have a long enough tele lens to give you a more closer look. 🙂
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All the brown certainly makes the blue water even bluer! A pretty contrast. Your cold is heading our way! We are forecast for a low of 2F/-16C next week. Guess it is finally time to get out my winter coat!
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Stefanie,
It’s -19C now (-2.2 F) and one of our two furnaces had broken down. 😦 But it’s half price Tuesday for movies too. Need to venture out.
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Brr. I usually think a movie theater is a good place during the summer to escape the heat, not winter to get warm! Hope your furnace gets fixed fast. Stay warm!
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Wow, that’s REALLY cold for this time of year! Your photos are gorgeous, as always. You are such a talented photographer, and I love that you enjoy nature & capture all of its seasons.
Bundle up!
Sue
Book By Book
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Sue,
Thanks for your kind words. I love Nature and my avian friends. We’re used to seeing ‘unusual’ temp. anytime of the year. Thanks for stopping by the Pond and leaving your ripples. 🙂
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I always like the stark beauty of winter. Pink sunsets and a nip in the air. Lovely pictures as always.
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Nicola, that was then and this is now: -20’s C (-4 F and lower) for 2 weeks. Not even officially winter yet. Thanks for coming to the Pond. 🙂
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