It’s a fine morning for a walk. The day is sunny, not too hot. My mind relaxes and wanders off on it’s own while my feet continue on a familiar route.
Whoa! Sound and motion. I take half a step back and bring my focus to the near right.
One. Two. Three. Yes, a trio of Mallard Drakes have taken temporary residence in the flower planter. Are they lost? Confused? The nearest pond is three blocks away and we’ve not had enough rain to form puddles for more than a week.
No brown females in sight. A Mallard bachelor party? Or three disappointed friends plotting and planning their next move?
When I move past they settle and their shiny green heads blend into the fresh foliage.
Out Bob’s window, for several weeks, we’ve watched Mallards take walks. Not a speck of water is nearby. They, the two males and two females, come from the woods. Yes, the woods, for their meander, up and down the mowed grass behind the nearby condos. I finally asked one of the “birders” I know. “Why are there Mallards in the woods?” “That’s where they nest.” , was the answer..