Saturday, January 2, 2016

Gathering At The River

The Canada Geese, the Trumpeter Swans and the Mallard Ducks are gathered on Fish Hook River.  It is fun to go see them, there is enough current to keep the water open unless it gets really cold.  The geese, swans and ducks feed on submerged vegetation and buckets of corn supplied by well meaning people.Ducks Geese and Swans
In years past there was one old guy who feed them everyday…I don’t think that is happening anymore.  While we were there a lady with a red bucket went near the shore, but the waterfowl all moved to the other side of the river….so they were not familiar with her and her bucket.
Geese and Swans on the River
All the waterfowl seem to get along, perhaps they are old friends and meet up here every year for Christmas/New Years before heading south.
Canada Geese on the ice  and a Mallard Duck
Chance enjoyed watching them…quietly.  He was such a good boy! 

Our weather is mild for Minnesota…I kinda like El Nino.  I got the shoveling caught up with yesterday and de decorated the rest of the downstairs.  Christmas decorations were sorted and put away.  All that remains is a few decorations outside and they can stay there for a while and the Shiny Brite Tree is still decorated upstairs.  I have mixed feelings about taking it down…I will take it down before I have to dust the ornaments!
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28 comments:

Alan Burnett said...

Such beautiful photographs. You have such a rich variety of wildlife to enjoy, and whilst the wildlife in the fields and woods around Huddersfield cannot compare, I get to share a little of the delights of Minnesota via your Blog. Long may it continue. Happy New Year

Gail said...

What a beautiful sight.

Anonymous said...

Magical photos...such a pretty sight.

Anonymous said...

I'm such a shy person, I'm glad I'm not a goose, a duck or a swam in that gathering. What a beautiful soght, though. For the record . . . I have mixed feelings about you taking down your happy Shiny Brite tree, too! ;-) Just sayin'.

DJan said...

I love to see that congregation of critters, all enjoying the sunshine and water and food. I like the idea that they met up for the holidays. :-)

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Happy New Year! I don't know what to think about El Nino- he's been pretty rough on us down south with tornadoes and weird spring and summer type weather. These are great shots. Most of our geese have disappeared off the pond. Yesterday I had one lone cormorant, and he looked pretty lonesome.

Pauline Persing said...

Beautiful to see the birds.

Rita said...

Lovely photos! I thought most of the wild fowl had already left for the winter. Nice to know they are gathered near you for the holidays. Of course, if they get fed and there's open water they stick around--true. Nice to hear Chance was a good boy watching all those birds and not barking at them. :)

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

What beautiful birds, especially the swans and their elegant necks.

Buttons Thoughts said...

Oh they are so beautiful. Dusting the ornaments would not be fun. Happy New Year. HUG B

Terry and Linda said...

We are terribly cold here for us. Zero the high so far today. Sigh!

Linda

Karen said...

Wow, it makes you realize the size of the swans when you see them next to the Canada geese. Saw a few in a field just before Christmas.

Tired Teacher said...

Thank you for sharing these photos. I can almost hear the birds as the commune with each other.

Give Chance an extra treat for being so quiet.

Red said...

I can see why you go to this area to watch birds. There's action and beauty...just like your shine brites!

Henny Penny said...

That is quite a gathering. The swans are beautiful. I would love to see one in person. Happy New Year!

Linda W. said...

Wow - that's a lot of birds! I'll bet they were fun to watch.

Patsy said...

Great photo's I would be so excited to see swans and duck on the river like that.

Country Gal said...

Lovely photos ! We are chilly and snowless still . We have a large conservation area close to us called Springwater Conservation Area where all the Tundra Swans , Geese and ducks like to stop over for feasts of grain this time of year and is a fun place to hike through as well . Thanks for sharing , have a good day !

Linda Reeder said...

That second photo is wonderful!
No un-decorating done here yet, but we did just take the storage bins out of the attic so i can start the process - maybe tomorrow, probably Monday.

L. D. said...

When we use to do the North Shore each summer we would watch a guy at Grand Marias drop off a bucket of corn. The city did finally created a punishable law to keep the people from feeding them. There are a lot less Canadian geese after a couple of years but I bet that guy is still feeding them somewhere along the shoreline. Your photos are all so wonderful. That second one really is an amazing shot to see. I like the ducks too.

Anonymous said...

Great pictures. . . It always amazes me how some migratory birds will stay in the north as long as they can find open water.

diane in wis said...

I loved all the pics of the water fowl....beautiful! Sounds like you've been busy putting alot of your Christmas stuff away. Ours will stay up for a party this coming weekend and then we will slowly start to dismantle everything...but it sometimes takes us til the end of January. It's so pretty....we enjoy it all as long as we can! Love your dog...he's so good! Happy 2016 to you both!

Granny Marigold said...

Swans are just such elegant birds. You got some good pics. As for feeding the geese, here at the lake there's a sign asking people not to feed them. Apparently a single well fed goose will produce 15 lbs of poop a week!

The Furry Gnome said...

Couldn't tell it was Christmas recently around here!

Saku said...

I love the photos of the birds - it does make one wonder if they meet there each year to compare notes.

My tree came down today, and I think I've put away all the Christmas items There always seem to be one or two that escape notice. Now the house looks bare!

Enjoy the warm weather, it's certainly going to seem like a shorter winter.

Jacqi Stevens said...

Glad you are taking a liking to El Niño. Here in California, we like it mucho. It's brought some desperately-needed rain, at last. We are okay with that :D

Linda said...

No open water here but El Niño is causing a milder winter here and I'm not complaining. I did see some geese headed your way last week which is really late in the year for them,

Sam I Am...... said...

What great pictures! I'm surprised we don't get some here stopping by or staying as the lakes here never freeze over but I think there's too many houses here.