The Birds and the Bees

It's May, and signs of new life are everywhere.

Some birds are still calling for mates - like this red-winged blackbird.

Other newly-emerged species just hang around looking pretty.

Chickadees are house hunting.

Bees are up to their knees in pollen.

And when the bees are done with them, dandelions will do their own reseeding.

Geese sit around, lazily enjoying the milder weather.

At second glance, we can see that there's nothing lazy about what this mama is doing. She very kindly obliges us with a peek at her eggs (I count four) while she primps and re-feathers her nest.

Rest up, beauty. Your goslings will soon keep you very busy.

Spring is also a time for evening walks in the park. This dock in bathed in the light of the lamp posts which dot the trail. Nearby, is a park bench, farther away from artificial light. In fact, it's very close to where the above goose is nesting. It's there that Frank and I went to sit and enjoy the night air for a while.

I'm sure you'll agree that it's difficult to see what's going on in the grass without natural light. For most people. Some people have a knack for seeing things that others might miss. Especially a certain fisherman (who also noticed a couple of the above shooting opportunities). Particularly an angler who has written a book about fishing and who can spot a worm, nay two worms doing their best to increase their worm population.

It was that scene exactly which Frank pointed out to me IN THE DARK! I saw nothing. But sure enough, when I followed where Frank's finger pointed, and aimed my camera in that general direction, turned on the flash and snapped a shot...

...we had worm porn.

Yeah, I know. It's not fair to leave you with that scene filling your mind, so here's one from Monday morning.

Nine little ducklings - the first of the season on our pond. Much cuter than worms. Except maybe to Frank.

More photos coming up in a few days. Thanks always for joining me.