i've just spent the better part of the last half-hour watching a pair of
buffy males flutter from one end of the wetland pond to the other behind my
apartment... one of them, the hunter, is seriously intent in making some
sort of confrontation happen... the hunted has done everything from diving
to flying to the "other" side of the pond any number of times... to date,
the best the hunted has done is to evade the hunter for about 30 seconds,
whereupon reacquisition has the hunter headed like a bee-line for the
hunted...

the pond is about an acre in size, maybe a bit less, about 3-4 times as long
as wide... until recently, there were about 4-5 males and maybe a pair of
females in the pool, but i've only seen the two males and one of the females
for the last few days...

one would think these males would tire of the relentless chase, but not so
far; they are both expending large amounts of energy in this endeavour...
and, while the pool isn't the clearest in the world, it's fascinating to
watch the hunter dive and swim towards the hunted with tight, short
wingbeats about six inches under the surface... just as much "fun" is
watching the coot-like takeoff, running along the surface of the pool...

the other ducks (ring-necked and mallard at the moment) are oblivious to the
fun and games... i keep expecting one of the neighbourhood raptors to come
and claim one of the players...

00 caren
http://www.parkgallery.org
located near juanita bay park, kirkland


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