Springtime On the Pond

The first little ones of the year have arrived on the the Fish Pond.

The Canadian geese I thought were a little more aggressive than normal earlier in the week had reason to be. They are the first proud parents to venture out onto the water with their young. The two goslings rapidly grow more confident in their surroundings, climbing higher up onto the banks and venturing further from moms side every day.

I'm sure the duck hens will reappear soon with their young in tow. I don't know much about how wood ducks raise their young yet but I know that the local mallards have not spent much time near the pond with their little ones in the past. I have seen mallard chicks in the stream that heads to a large nearby lake but never in the fish pond. I hope the wood ducks will take advantage of the heavy cover around the pond to raise theirs.


It has been my personal experience that one of the best times to see whitetail deer out in the woods is on those occasional wet and foggy or misty days. Days much like last Thursday.

When the ground and leaves are wet they are not as likely to hear you coming and their since their sight is limited by the mist or fog they are easier to approach.

The deer that frequent the banks of the pond have not dropped their fawns yet but I'm sure it won't be long. Even on nice days the does do not bolt at the first sight of people now. They prefer to not expend any energy unless they feel directly threatened.

As always mother natures mix of little warm weather and rain have begun to paint the banks of the Fish Pond with color. Apple blossoms and trillium's are blooming and their contrast with the other new plant growth make them stand out, for lack of a better metaphor, like stars in the night sky.

The return of the leaves to the trees and fresh plant life along the banks of the pond will soon completely change it's personality.


At the beginning of the week you could watch the entire sunset through the leafless trees as it spread across the horizon. Now you just catch glimpses of it after it drops below the top of the tree line and in the spots it does peek through the leaves its color almost appears magnified. Even though there were just little glimpses it was enough to catch my attention for the minute or so it was visible.

While it was this banded bald eagle that first led me to the fish pond it is the entire range of plant and animal life that keeps me coming back. It's just one small part of the wonderful planet on which we are fortunate enough to live.

Have a great week and get outside. Go exploring and learn something new about the world around you!

Kevin