We have photos from four readers today. The first is from Stephen Barnard, whose documentation of a brood of gadwall ducklings was posted this summer. I believe eleven were hatched, and nine survived. What took them? Maybe an Onchorhynchus mykiss:
Here’s a rainbow trout that may have been responsible for some gadwall duckling fatalities.
Urban wildlife: deer at night taken in New Jersey by reader Liz Strahle with an iPhone:
Here’s a duck family sent on July 26 by reader Patrick Polan:
I live roughly ten minutes from Michigan State Universities campus and visit on a regular basis to walk the beautiful gardens as well as the river trail.Attached are some photos I took of a female mallard duck, Anas platyrhynchos, and her three ducklings. The photos are taken at the Beal Botanical Garden on Michigan State Campus. I was able to get as close as I could and placed my hand by the water and sure enough the Mother and her ducklings came very close to my hand. In that moment I wish I had oatmeal or chicken feed on me. I am very grateful and fortunate to live close to my alma mater and experience nature.
We have a new contributor, John Runnels of Louisiana, who took this video showing gazillions of migrating pelicans. Look at all those birds! His notes:
This Thursday on my way to work I took this video of migrating white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana lakes. I have never seen so many all in one place:
That is a lot of Pelicans. Would not even try to count. They appear to be feeding as you see several of them moving together with the heads down and moving forward, often into the bank or shore. They like to drive the fish to get a better chance at them.
Hey RWP contributors : thank you!
Very good.
And, wow. That is a lot of pelicans. Also a smattering of egrets who look definitely outnumbered.
Stephen, I have to fix this for you: “Here’s a YUGE rainbow trout …”
I love all those deer eyes. I once was outside in the dark & shone a flashlight into the adjacent field. A bunch of golden reflecting eyes shone back – it was the cows next door! They were silently watching me the whole time. I panicked for all of ½ a second before I remembered that cows live over there.
I’m no fisherman but that rainbow trout is rather large is it not?
The deer are beautifully eerie. Thanks, everyone, for the pics!
Great trout pic there, Stephen. Dare I ask what you caught it on?
I bet it was the weekend ,sorry i will be quiet now.
A pelicanapalooza!