Winter ducks

A windy winter afternoon had made most creatures go into hiding except a few waterfowls found foraging in the water. On the ground, the snow had freed the fallen leaves from its grips and set them spinning and tossing in the wind to their next destination. A few that had managed to hold onto their branches were alas tumbling down like ballerinas spinning in air. A few fell amongst its composting peers and a few on the water.

The sky was empty except an occasional Mallard finding his way back to their group and landing swiftly in the pond. A flock of Gadwalls had gathered too and they all seemed to have found a delicious stock of food in the shallow waters of the pond.

Away from the all the foraging activity there were two Hooded Mergansers gliding on water with a grace of a couple walking hand in hand to the dance floor. The female looked like she had just gotten her hair done for the holidays. And the male had a striking black and white feathers on his head and wings. Together they swam in that frigid pond amidst the dried cattails and fallen snow for I don’t know how long. They had created their own sanctuary, as brief it may be before they fly over to another pond or home. As mesmerizing as it was to watch them in this arresting winter landscape, the cold winter winds made me want to go back to my own sanctuary - home.