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5/18/16 brush pen, white gel pen |
This is my favorite time of year to walk around Green Lake
because the mama mallards and Canada geese are venturing out with their new
broods. The little ones are usually poking around for food within the tall
grass and brush near the water’s edge and therefore difficult to see, let alone
sketch, from the walking path.
This morning I veered off the path a bit toward one of the piers,
where I’ve sometimes seen gaggles of geese slurping up slugs from the grass nearby.
I spotted a mama mallard with her five ducklings piled into a heap near the pier’s
edge. (I thought about how a human mom would naturally steer her young away
from the edge, but ducks are safest there, where they can make a hasty retreat
into the water if necessary.) All I had with me on my fitness walk was a red Field Notes, but it was enough to
capture them quickly. Mama became alert and a bit nervous when I first
approached, but seeing me hardly moving, she relaxed and eventually tucked her
bill under her wing for a little doze (though she still kept one eye on me, half
open).
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5/18/16 brush pen, white gel pen |
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In the photo, you can barely see the ducklings piled up next to the edge of the pier. |
Nice sketches!!! Some of those geese can get very defensive so you have to be careful!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joan! Yeah, I know -- I've been chased away by some mama geese!
Delete- Tina