C.G. Hill - Part 1

Today is a beautiful day...too beautiful to spend it sitting inside all day...so, I decided to get out and take a few more pictures. I headed down to C.G. Hill Memorial Park, which has a good amount of wildlife and some other interesting things to see. Unfortunately, it's not flower season yet, or I'd have some pics of the beautiful wildflowers that grow in the upper field. But maybe soon! Anyway, I got enough pics today to make three different posts. This particular post could be called:

"Ducks and Geese and Durkeys - oh my!"

This is the 'shot of the day' - does anyone else think "Abbey Road" when seeing these three geese?

The watchman...this goose stood on the side watching as his mates swam the pond.

Two of the white ducks that inhabit the waters.

These two are a couple of odd ducks...the one on the left has a spotted head, and the one on the right has a blue head. It looks greenish, like a mallard, in this pic, but under the sun it looked like a bright royal blue...very unusual, but very pretty...

A couple more ducks...

One of the many Canadian Geese that enjoy the abundant food and beauty of the pond.

Contemplation...this goose seems to be trying to make up his mind whether to sit where he is, jump in for a swim, or hiss at the person taking his photo...

Companionship...everything is better with a friend by your side.

When I got to the park, a little girl and her grandpa were coming up from the pond with fishing rods in their hands. The grandfather, being polite and making light conversation, asked if I was going for a stroll. I told them I was there to photograph the ducks and geese, and the little girl told me there was a "Durkey" out there. I asked her what a 'durkey' was, and she said that it was a cross between a duck and a turkey. I'm guessing this guy was her 'durkey'.

I have to say, he's also my new friend! The ducks and geese at the pond have no interest in interacting with the people who come for a visit...except for this guy. While I was taking pictures, he came right up to me, wagging his tail and making a funny noise...almost like a dog woofing. And when I say "wagging his tail", I don't mean the tail wag that usually goes with a waddle...I mean he was literally wagging his tail like he was happy. He was only about 2 feet away from me when I took this picture. Then he proceeded to walk along beside me for a ways around the pond before sailing out over the water and going for a swim...