A pair of ducks taking a break this afternoon along the shores of Jamaica Pond, which more and more is looking like a giant pot of pea soup as the blue-but-so-far-mostly-green algae keep the pond closed to fishing, boating and dog swimming.
The mama duck and her seven ducklings had settled in for a snooze late yesterday afternoon among the mud and rocks along the Perkins Street side of Jamaica Pond, just up from that outlet tunnel. As the ducklings huddled in a big fuzzball, mother burrowed into her own feathers - but with one eye still on the water.
Then a heron landed maybe 8 or 9 feet away. At first, it stood there, seeming to eye the ducklings. Read more.
Mary Ellen spotted this coyote at Millennium Park in West Roxbury yesterday morning.
But Wile E. was not the only creature she photographically captured there, including this snapping turtle he'll probably stay away from: Read more.
The photographer, who doesn't know from ducks, except the ones that come up to you with the geese if they think you have bread, spotted this bird scooting along, and alone, on Jamaica Pond this afternoon. Dr. Google pronounces it a ring-necked duck.
Mary Ellen spotted a king eider, usually seen farther north, in the water off Castle Island this morning.
Mary Ellen spotted this green-winged teal on the Charles River in Watertown today, not far from where she spotted a male wood duck: Read more.
Almost all of Jamaica Pond was covered with ice and snow today. Only a small area near where a tunnel empties into the northern end of the pond remained open. Read more.
Mary Ellen spotted this pair of hooded mergansers (the male is the one using the bold splash of white) on Jamaica Pond yesterday.
Liz the roving UHub photographer came upon a white duck having a grand old time hanging with a gaggle of geese on the Esplanade this afternoon.
Damaskin watched workers remove the gunk at the bottom of the drained Public Garden Lagoon today. When done, they'll refill the small pond with clean water that will hopefully end the threat of mass duck die-offs caused by botulism toxin in the water that had been caused, indirectly, by Covid-19 - by forcing the cancellation of the Swan Boats and their paddles, which normally would oxygenate the water, which inhibits the bacteria.
The Boston Parks and Recreation Department reports it started draining the Public Garden Lagoon today to try to rid it of toxic grossness that has spawned several 311 complaints about dead ducks. Read more.
Say, we don't get many black ducks at Jamaica Pond (and at these prices, we can see why, woo hoo!).
Some ducks shared their rocky resting spot with a pair of turtles in Jamaica Pond yesterday.
For at least the third year in a row, a wood duck is raising a flotilla of wood ducklings at Jamaica Pond.
Last year:
Getting her ducks in a row.
Duckling coming up; officers Dany Matos and Isaac Jackson rounding up Mrs. Mallard and her babies.
Two Officer Mikes who helped bystanders stop traffic on Tremont Street near BPD headquarters so that Mrs. Mallard and her brood of 11 could safely cross the busy street at lunchtime today suddenly found themselves with a major problem: One of the ducklings they were making way for fell into a storm drain. Police report what happened next: Read more.
Adam Balsam watched a couple of ducks in the water of Boston Harbor yesterday.
Posted under this Creative Commons license and in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.
Hunters looking to bag some ducks may be breaking state law by having people drive boats at the large number of ducks congregating in Boston Harbor, making them fly away in a panic - and become easier targets. Read more.
This female American wigeon decided to hang with all the mallards on the north side of Jamaica Pond this afternoon, but acting a bit more skittish than her larger ducky friends. At one point, a bunch of them took off all of a sudden and she departed with them - before they all splashed down again about halfway down the pond.
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