Aliens

One of these things is
not like the others...one thing
is just not the same

~carliewired

I drove into McArthur Island Park just after noon. Waiting for sunshine was hopeless again today. I just needed to get my blip done. 

I drove in and parked by the Butterfly Garden. Some kind of big white bird was on the playing field with the Canada geese. It had caught my attention immediately and I was trying to get a shot of it with no luck. It looked like one of Old MacDonald's flock had got away and joined the wild geese. 

I drove on to park by the foot bridge. The mallards were taking up their usual spot near the bridge in anticipation of handouts. In their midst was a solitary pigeon who has been hanging around for a long time. One of the regular walkers in the park was telling me all about it. This pigeon had somehow been injured and can't fly. She brings food for it. 

The slough is frozen save for one little roundish opening which the ducks were very much enjoying today. I took a shot of the skid marks the ducks leave on the frozen slough when they land. 

I drove on to the south side of the island and stopped where I could see down into the river. The Canada geese are still around in great numbers. It always amuses me to see them walking along on the river, rather than swimming. As I stood watching the geese on the river, a small flock of geese landed, including the big white bird I'd seen earlier. I got a better shot of it in the river. I think it is a snow goose, which I've never seen before. They breed up in the Arctic. It seems to have attached itself to a group of Canada geese. 

While I was watching this group on the river, a juvenile eagle swooped over hoping for some lunch. The geese saw its approach before I did. They set off an alarm call I'd never heard before and instantly crowded together facing the predator. I'm guessing that the eagle was hoping to scare them up into the air as I've seen them do with ducks. They held their formation and the eagle flew off unsuccessfully. It landed in the river some 30 feet away and looked back at the geese. It took off and tried the same tactic three more times, then gave up  and flew away. 

I'm in for this grey day. There's a chicken roasting and my daughter is making dressing. The gravy and mashed potatoes are my responsibility. 

We have a cloudy day with a high of -1 C expected. We might see some snow flurries this afternoon.