Mini Marsh

Another little area I pass on the way to work is right off a major highway, but is a big hang out for Canadian geese.  They are there every day almost when I go by.  It's an area next to a large pond of water.  I stopped Sunday morning to take pictures and, of course, no geese in sight!  There were a few ducks and a bird that looked like a killdeer (also thought I heard the cry of a killdeer while I was there - click here to hear what they sound like) but it was too far away to get a photo.

Source:  Wikipedia

In the plover family, killdeers are not just shore birds but are common in fields and meadows as well as golf courses and parking lots.

I'd only been there for a few minutes taking a few pictures of the ducks, when I saw the geese swimming from another area of the marsh coming in my direction.

If you're thinking the water looks green, you're right.  The 'pond' is filled with algae and water lilies.

Then the geese came up on the banks and hung out with me.  Of course they probably thought I was going to feed them.  I'd been there for a little while when someone else arrived with bread.  Then all the geese, ducks and a few other birds, including some red-winged blackbirds joined in the feast.

I heard the glug of frogs but never saw one.  At one point I heard a squeek and a splash of water.  Not sure who else was out there, but could have been a frog.  There were also a few chipmunks hanging out.

One morning when I was close to this area I saw a long-legged wading bird headed in.  Probably a heron but no herons on Sunday.

It was great to get a closer look at this little area I see every day, but didn't know that much about.