Most of our summer resident birds wisely flew south this past fall. We had a small group of ducks and swans who ignored generations of genetic imprinting and decided to stay. After binge watching various climate change documentaries they reasoned the rise in temperature would make their summer home very warm and cozy during the winter. Since all the other birds and ducks flew south, they would have the place to themselves. December was a bit on the warmer side and their choice looked really smart. As the deep freeze of the new year set in, they watched with growing concern as the pond started to ice over. They went from a mile long pond to roam around to a small open area about 50 feet long by 20 feet wide.
I decided to take a hike down the frozen pond to see how they were making out. They were so happy to have a visitor. What had started out as a fun idea had turned into a lesson about winter survival If you ever find yourself stuck in a similar situation here are some tips.
A better idea, is to crawl up on top of the ice and tuck both legs and feet into your feathers.
Loss of wing muscle tone is been another issue. The swans developed a special wing yoga class which they plan on marketing this spring. Here are some of the yoga positions.
This is the "Rolls Royce" position named after the flying goddess hood ornament they use on their cars.
The aptly named "spread eagle"
Cupid took pity on these ice bound castaways. These two mallards just tied the knot.
Whitey has been lamenting all winter long he will never find the love of his life.
Then one morning he woke up to find this beautiful princess swimming around. He wanted to say hello but he didn’t think she would be interested.
Oh, look the princess has stopped to check out her admirer.
He finally got the courage to ask her out on a date!
They are so graceful on the dance floor.
What a whirlwind romance, I think he is proposing to her.
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