I watched all day as a power struggle ensued over territorial rights of our pond. No weapons of mass destruction, no beating of war drums. Nor was there any vocal oratory from either side. No military complex was brought up to full capacity. No Haliburton representative was in sight to profit from another conflict. Even the news media were caught off guard with their resources severely strained. All their equipment were deployed, as Paris, Brittaney and Lindsy struck on the same day. Nor was the peace and quiet disturbed by politicians from either side debating whether to finance this fracas or not.
The combatants in today's battle were a newly arrived pair of mallard ducks; a male and female dressed in full color so as to distinguish the sexes. On the other side were two Canadian geese, whose sex could not be determined, due to their drab dress. But I do believe they are a male and female, since in the past five years they have produced an armada of goslings that patrolled our lake and pond.
The female mallard was clearly the aggressor as she bravely swam into the face of the enemy which was noticeably larger then she. Menacingly, not far behind, the male was there to enter the fray if hostilities escalated. This swift and silent attack into the face of a far superior force, left the geese in disarray with no choice but to retreat to the safety of the slopes above the pond.
For the rest of the day the mallards kept a wary eye on the enemy, as they inspected their newly won territory. To my great joy, I was left to dine at a local fish fry instead of having roast duck or a suckling goose.
Not all wars have casualties.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
No doubt, wars are fun to watch. Thanks for the reminder of which wars we should be watching for entertainment instead of tuning into Wolf Blitzer live at the next Shock and Awe. We rented a cabin in a nearby state park over a long Easter weekend, and I drug a couple of quilts and a pillow out onto the screened-in porch to spend one night, and come first hint of sunrise, there were a lot of birds shocking and aweing me with how loud their chattering wars were. Nature is awesome, and I deserve a kick in the pants for knowing how awesome it is and then failing to get in touch with it more. Would have loved to see that duck war at the pond, too.
You have hit on the secret of enjoying nature. Just lay there or sit quietly and observe.
I watch how the various species of birds have a pecking order at the feeder. Soon you find out in what order they feed.
Try sitting on a pier and watch how the wonderous water world comes to life, as predators stalk their prey.
Or a spider and his web work. You can learn a lot by just observing them in their battle of survival.
Dawn and dusk are the best times to catchnature at it's finest.
Post a Comment