On a Friday afternoon at Reifel Island Bird Sanctuary in September, the lagoons are quiet, the paths empty. The parenting tasks are done for the year, many of the summer residents have flown south, and the winter visitors are still on their way. And it's Friday. The remaining ducks know the score; Saturday morning, the parking lot will be full of kids and kids at heart carrying bags of seed; then they will be busy begging, demanding, hounding, jostling, squabbling, peck-peck-pecking, diving, honking and quacking until dusk, with a repeat the next day. They'll be rested and ready for it.
Friday is a good day for a quiet walk.
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| House sparrow on a fence |
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| This mallard was eating low-hanging blackberries. She didn't seem to mind them not being ripe. |
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| The splotchiest pigeon I ever did see. |
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| And an uncharacteristically placid coot, ignoring my tossed seeds. |
More tomorrow.
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