Wild Bird Wednesday

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http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.ca/2012/07/wild-bird-wednesday-2-southern-cassowary.html

On our way home from who knows where, my friend and I spotted two families of little ducks putzing along in the channel by the bridge.  We couldn't tell from where we were what kind of ducks they were, but they were so cute ... looked like a row of little wind up toys.  When I got home and was able to zoom in, I discovered they were Wood Ducks ... no Dad in the picture, of course, but they are beautiful, adorable and very shy.

Initially they all started swimming in the opposite direction when they realized they were being watched.

and then they turned toward shore ...

... and made a mad dash for the weeds.  They were the cutest ever, skimming over the top of the seaweed so they could hide in the reeds.

The seaweed is the Eurasian Water Milfoil plant, an invasive species of seaweed that chokes native seaweed and destroys fish habitat.  Efforts to control it are being explored by the waterway agency ... hopefully, but next season, they will have found a way to eradicate it.  In this series it caused a glare that effected the quality of pictures so, in my mind, that is one more reason to get rid of it :) Have a wonderful Birding Week ...