Tag: Wood Duck

Hall’s Pond…by Brad Marks

Going to be setting a new land speed record for getting this last post of the month out – check off another successful meet on the Intrigued post quota. At some point my superiors are going to stop accepting that as a “stretch” goal ha. Have good news for everyone, we have “proof of life” for Brad. That sounds a lot more exciting that it really is as in today’s day and age, it simply means we got a text he’s on his way home. Probably dating myself here, but it feels just like the Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom show. If you recall (assuming you are old enough), Marlin Perkins would sit back in his smoking chair with a snifter of Scotch while Jim is out in the field getting mauled by a pack of Hyenas. “Honey, I would like to get this bird located here {spins globe stopping it with a well placed finger}, what do you think?” “There!!! HELL NO..send Brad.” “Good idea, where’s my snifter?” I am sure he will have a number of future posts covering his adventures. In the meantime we are pulling one of his queue to keep you entertained while I tend to things that go bump in the night.

Three short little days until the first night of the Haunted Trail..as they say..or rather sing “No Sleep ‘Till Brooklyn” (link here). Sure wish I had “Eight days a week”.

Kick it Brad…

If you’ve ever been to Boston, you know how frantic life can be there.  Like any other large city, there are big buildings, crazy people everywhere “driving” with a coffee in one hand and a smartphone in the other, and other people with a smartphone in one hand and a cup of coffee in their other hand posing as pedestrians.  Of course, nearly everyone has obligatory earbuds firmly ensconced.  Jan and I were visiting Boston for the umpteenth time (really, I’ve lost count over the decades) for our goddaughter’s high school graduation.  Knowing I’d like to see what birds were living in and around Boston, our friend Connie suggested I try a little pond near our hotel in Brookline. 

When I first arrived at Armory Park, all I could see was a giant dog park (very few were picking up, BTW, so watch your step if you visit) and a half dozen tennis courts with players who thought they were getting ready for Wimbledon.  It was then that I noticed a heavily wooded area behind a fence with a swing gate; that’s where I headed:  Hall’s Pond.  I went through the gate, wandered along the wooded trail, and came upon a serene little pond with a small deck extending over the water.  The pond is roughly 150 feet wide by about 200 feet long.  The surrounding gardens and wooded area may only be 3-4x as big as the pond itself.

Hall's Pond by Brad Marks

Hit the jump to see more finds from Hall’s Pond.

Continue reading Hall’s Pond…by Brad Marks

Got Wood

I’m going to break from tradition of FIFO for a bit and execute a LIFO on my photography queue.  My brother is becoming quite the birding competitor requiring me to step up my game on the bird list front.  In the face of this stiff competition I’m forced to break from protocol and feature a recent addition to the North American Bird List Collection

Wood Duck at Washington Park in Springfield IL

This beautiful duck was shot in Washington Park in Springfield IL.  I was down there dealing with some family medical concerns and had the chance to head over to that park for a quick 10 mile training run.  Turns out the rolling hills in that park seemed to have grown in size since my last trips there as a kid.  By the time the 9th mile came the legs were considering an all out rebellion.  The last mile became a quest to find a distraction sufficient enough overcome the loud screams of torture at each footfall.  Opportunity knocks at the most interesting of times.

Wood Duck at Washington Park in Springfield IL

While crossing over a bridge I noticed a crap load of ducks and allies enjoying a small ice free area of a large frozen pond.  In the brief time they were in view it appeared that the occupants were predominantly Mallards and Canada Geese, but it looked like there were some outliers which are prime fodder for birders.  There was another mile to hammer out so unfortunately no time for a detailed scan.

Wood Duck at Washington Park in Springfield IL

Hit the jump to see a few more shots of this ornate Duck.

Continue reading Got Wood