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| Bathing for this pair of geese is a shared experience. |
First a note to my readers:
For some reason unbeknownst to me, my last post "Watching
Mallards: Part II", didn't show up
on blog reading lists, at least on some reading lists. For those of you who
don't know what I'm talking about, a blog reader is something you sign up for
and it alerts you when your favorite bloggers post. If you went directly to my blog, you saw my
last post. If you use a reading list,
you might not have. You can see it by
going to the blog
If I keep having problems I may just quit. It is
discouraging to post and then wonder if anyone saw it or I may switch to
another blog format. I originally posted
Part II on Jan 10, then I tried reposting on Jan 15. It still didn't show up on the readers. I finally dared ask a couple of my regulars
if they had seen the post and they hadn't, but they could by going directly to
www.elvafieldnotes.blogspot.com.
I'm going to be watching to see if this one posts
properly..... and holding my breath.
I'll also be checking with a couple of my regulars to see if it shows up
on their readers.
Splish! Splash!
Have you ever watched a bird take a bath? I'm sure you've noticed it, but have you
really watched. Chickadees hit a puddle
of water like an electric egg beater on overdrive. They are a little like 7 year old boys who
aren't about to spend a lot of time scrubbing.
Waterfowl seem to relish taking a bath, maybe because they are so
comfortable in the water anyway. It's a
long, careful process.
Yesterday I watched a pair of Canada geese bathing at our
local pond for at least twenty minutes.
It could well have taken half an hour because at first I was stalking a
Lincoln sparrow and I was barely aware of the geese.
Goose feathers are strong! They seem to be beating the water to death. I once hand grabbed a wild goose at the duck pond because it had fish line caught on one leg. We coaxed the goose close enough for me to grab ... and then I felt as though I was about to get thrashed to death.
Sometimes its even hard to see the goose.
It amazes me that after all that splashing, he still looks dry. Chickadees at least look like they fell overboard.
And once the bath is over, they always seem ready for a good stretch and flap.
Jan 20 ..... P.S.
A friend may have enlightened me as to why I had problems with my last post. I may have gotten censored because of two words in the text! -- describing male and female duck anatomy. I'm not sure, but it does sound like a logical explanation.
Score!!! It showed up on my dashboard and my readers list. So looks like we get to keep seeing your wonderful posts. Love seeing the birds bathing. You got more wonderful photos too. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, this appeared in my sidebar list of latest posts. All restored to normality....phew!
ReplyDeleteThe last photo is very beautiful. I always love your posts whether they are natural history, art, or just fun. Thanks for posting! I know it takes time and effort to share your experiencee with everyone.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny that you posted about Canadas bathing. We watched some doing this very thing yesterday. I really like to see them roll over in the water. It is hard to believe these huge birds can be so dexterous.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed, I think it was the wording. I'm still giggling at the thought of alternative words you could have used. Love the photos of the goose bathing. Always fun to see. Please, please don't be discouraged!
ReplyDeleteElva, beautiful photos. Even without your dialog, the story is clearly told. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteNice post, things explained in details. Thank You.
ReplyDeleteBird bathing....reminds me of pics of a Northern Oriole in the South Fork of the Kinnickinnic....all orange and black and silvery water drops.
ReplyDelete