It was a lousy week. The water heater cracked and flooded the basement. Home internet service kept going out. There were doctor appointments. But wait. Aren’t we going to talk about birds here? Is this a gripe column or a birding journal?
Yesterday April turned a corner. Sun warmed every bit of our world with light. A nearby lake looked like green glass. Turtles basked on logs. Canada Geese showed up, that old mix of the annoying and majestic.
But wait. That’s not what this is about. No, while still fretting about water heaters, internet service and doctors…something unexpected happened.
On this bright afternoon a Red-breasted Merganser popped up on that lake. There was its unmistakable elongated shape. Prehistoric beak. And spiky backward-tilting crest. Light and dark coloration with a reddish tinge. All that you know about a Merganser: there.
By some roll of the avian dice, it dropped in for a visit, floated around in odd-duck strangeness, and the odd duck standing on shore completely forgot—for a moment—about water heaters, internet failures and doctors.
And what a hip observation. Not the first time. We remember comments from Marc that came in often prior to our break in the action. Well, we’re back posting again, and it’s nice to know Marc is reading…and writing. Thanks pal.
What a hip duck. With a Goth haircut, white kerchief, black cape, white and gray trousers.