Spring is Almost Here and They're Pairing Off

I have noticed that the ducks that are left at the lake are now swimming in pairs -- here are a male and female Lesser Scaup although the male looks suspiciously like a Greater Scaup so maybe they are just hanging out!  I have definitely noticed that the mallards are swimming in pairs though and I saw one nest off in the reeds (don't know what kind though).

The Coots seem to be spending a lot more time out of the water than in and I have been trying to get another good picture of their "Christmas Cactus" feet which are just so funny!  I have never before seen the Coots wandering around in the grass before this spring.  They are not hanging out in groups as they do in winter either.

Even the Lesser Scaup is sitting out of the water on this beautiful 70 degree day!  He kept his eye on me though and I am sure he would bolt if I got too close.

Of course I am still seeing the Yellow Rumped Warblers each time I head to the lake -- here you can actually see his prominent yellow spotted rump!

My male Kingfisher was down at Ft. Fisher yesterday but kept his distance.  It was a cloudy morning -- not the best for picture taking.  Happy to see so many Kingfishers this year though!

Don't know what these are but looked a bit like wild strawberries to me.  I am seeing lots of different small wildflowers these days and the trees are in bloom. I found out that this is a Northern Dewberry and is in the rose family -- it looked like a rose but had a long trailing vine which made me think strawberry.  They are about an inch and a half across.

You can see the new growth on the reeds here as well and the beautiful blue skies we have so often here!

Another not so great component of spring down here is the incredible coating of pollen on everything.  It will rain at night cleaning everything up and by night fall the next day, there will be a layer of green everywhere.  It even looks hazy on a bright sunny day if you look down a street.