A very Ducky Christmas, Picture thread.

[denbot]

Our local park's pond flooded during the last storm session and Miss California Peggy posted a picture of a partially submerged bench. When my wife was a child this park was undeveloped, but now three quarters is nice and manicured, typical of a suburban park, with some remaining "wilderness" fenced off for the ducks, turtles, and what-not.

Walking around it's easy to note that this park also serves as a storm drain catch basin, and serve it did. The water level rose at least six feet, not much to someone who lives by a real river, but this is a little park in the middle of a quiet suburb. If the water rose a few more feet it would have overflowed the north side of the park/catch basin, and sent water to our section of the tract. During major raid storms all the run off heads to the corner of my block and the storm drains get a little over whelmed with water overflowing the curbs and beginning to creep up the lawns. If the park overflowed I'm pretty sure there would have been some flood damage to our neighbors who live at the corner.

Anyway, Alley and I walk to the park with some koi food which most of the park critters like, and checked out the flooding ourselves.

I believe these are American Coots, there are always some migratory birds, but there were several hundred coots there yesterday. Coolest feet ever!!!



Alley's a butt toucher!!!



This is a Mallard/Domestic duck hybrid, mostly emerald green and the prettiest duck I've ever seen.






The park locals are a pretty laid back when it comes to food in the summer, but in winter they are aggressively hungry. The white duck is getting bitten by patient zero, of the zombie duck Apocalypse.



A view from the north edge of the park. I am standing below the high water mark, with the actual pond in the background.



Thanks for looking

[Sanity Claws]

1. I love the coot's feet

The color is so cool; I want shoes in that color. HeeHee
Interesting how the coot's feet are not webbed.

[denbot]

5. The feet are shaped like little ferns.

Very thin but broad. I think they are designed for walking on lilly pads, or water Hyacinth. Up close the color is a light yellow/lime green.. very cool indeed.

[Flaxbee]

2. In the summer, coots hang around the pond

that our local university keeps stocked w/trout for fishing. Also, of course, mallards and Canada geese, but the coots were new to me until last summer when I figured out what they were.

Nice pics! Thanks, denbot :hi:

[denbot]

6. I see them around sometimes.

Usually not that many. Alley and I walked there today and there were only about 30 or so. I guess most of them took off last night or this morning. I'm guessing they winter in southern California or Mexico.

[blogslut]

3. Wow

I've never seen a Coot. What an interesting creature. Do they do the water thing like other ducks?

[denbot]

7. Yes they swim, and dive like pro's.

I watched them chase each other across the water and they even chase each other under water. I don't think ducks do that.

[siligut]

4. Thank you for the narration

And my favorite kind of pictures too.

[denbot]

8. Your welcome..

Probably TMI, but what the hell..

[siligut]

11. Not TMI at all

I felt like I was there. Seeing Alley pet that duck and you describing how they become more aggressive about food in the winter, I like that.

[bluesbassman]

9. We had some coot's hanging around our neighborhood too.

They got kinda mad when I threw breadcrumbs at 'em.



Great pics denbot. :) Hope you guys are weathering the storms ok.

[denbot]

10. Hi bluesbassman.

We came though so-so, the crawl space under our house filled with water again. Last time we had a big rain I had to rent a sump-pump from Home Depot. This time around I have a fairly high capacity bilge pump (DC powered) that I've rigged to run off of a battery charger. There should be a break in the rain for a couple of days, so I'll try out my jury rig tomorrow.

[Lucinda]

15. I really needed the laugh.

Thankie! :)

[NV Whino]

12. Is that Alondra Park?

With El Camino in the background.

[denbot]

13. No, it's Pollyowg Park with MBMS in the back ground..

MBMS = Manhattan Beach Middle School.

[NV Whino]

14. OMG!

I forgot about Pollywog Park. Gonna be lots of happy Pollywogs this coming year.

[marzipanni]

16. That's a great assortment of feathered friends!

The school where my son went to 4th-6th grade has a flock of seagulls that hang around school so they can view the fair weather outdoor lunch area waiting for after-lunch pickin's. When we have a brisk wind from the south some day after school or on a weekend I'm going to make a big bag of popcorn (unsalted) and take it to that school and fling scoops of popcorn so that it blows across the playing fields. All the seagulls hanging out on the roof will swoop down and chase the tumbling popcorn. :)