I had a few hours so headed out to three urban locations (other than Mud Lake) that I knew usually had plentiful ducks: "The Duck Pond", Billings Bridge and the Adawe Crossing. (There is another spot in Manotick, but I didn't have time to go there.)
"The Duck Pond" is at the SW corner of Bank and Hunt Club, behind the Produce Depot Store. It is a small stormwater retention pond along Sawmill Creek. For whatever reason it always seems to have open water in winter, although the past 10 days or so of cold weather had iced over a good portion of it. The duck population is mallards, who seem to be well fed by human visitors. As I walked around the pond to get to the best vantage point, the ducks were eyeing me and following me along the ice edge. When i stopped to take the photo you can see them all gathered below the hill, hoping I would come down with some cracked corn
The area is also a favourite for crows and a few other small birds. The chickadee on the right below is working to get the seed out of a burr.
The next stop was Billings Bridge. Here again the ice was more extensive that usual. The ducks here are normally all mallards with the occasional black duck. All but a few ducks were in "duck cove" a small open area close to the shore. In past years when I approached the flock they welcomed my arrival hoping for a handout, this year they backed off. A few mallards were out on the far side of the ice.
I had heard there was a wood duck there and sure enough it swam towards me through the mallards. Judging by the eye colour, I am guessing it is a first year male who got separated from his flock and didn't head south.
Unexpectedly, on the far shore ice edge (South side) was a group of hooded mergansers busily diving for food.
At the Adawe Crossing, by Stanley Park, the action was common goldeyes (and pigeons🙄). This part of the Rideau River rarely freezes over and attracts goldeneye ducks every year. Occasionally the more rare Barrow's goldeneye puts in an appearance. I didn't see one today, but they have been regularly reported in several locations.
While I don't normally pay much attention to pigeons, the Adawe Crossing flock has several white and mixed pigeons. I haven't noticed white pigeons elsewhere, so these always catch my eye........
They seem to have a regular spot where someone provides feed for them
While they quite often don't mind humans walking by, every now and then they spook and take off and circle around
Sometimes they settle on nearby lamp posts if still uneasy
But they soon come back to the feeding spot
