Ducklings On The Pond

I flushed this momma duck and her babies when I mowed along the pond dam yesterday.  I quickly mowed everything near the pond and then got out of their way.  About an hour and a half later I quietly snuck back to the pond, tucked in behind a thick cover of pines.  

I took two pictures, one out of focus, this one and by the third picture they were already under cover on the pond's edge.  Click, click, click and they were gone!  

I was fully zoomed in with a 200mm lens and I cropped this picture quite a bit, so I obviously wasn't close.  I'd left the dogs at the barn, so they hadn't clued her in either.  I was behind some thick pines and I didn't move a single branch.

How on earth did she immediately know I was there? 

Animals are amazing!

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For anyone following IG/FB last night, the dog Auntie Monica and I picked up off 32 was reunited with her owner today :-).  The big take away from the pick up was the fact that there were 8-10 cars stopped on the road trying to help catch this confused, scared, possibly injured, elderly dog.  

Sometimes people are amazing, too :-).

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A big thank you to everyone who has tried successfully or unsuccessfully to leave me a comment on the last couple posts.  I've changed the settings once again, so maybe this one will work. 

Unfortunately I won't be able to respond to questions directly anymore, but I can in a new separate comment.  I think there may be a toggle to "email follow up comments" which should notify you that I've responded.  I am so sorry this has to be so hard.

Computer issues are Not Amazing.