Quack! ... Well, actually, "Cheep, Cheep, Cheep"!
... So, anyway, it's late evening, the sun was going down, I was driving along, minding my own business, dodging moose (literally) and about a half hours drive from Route 480, when, ahead of me, I spotted something in the middle of the road. Thought at first it was a grouse or ptarmigan, but, as I slowed down, I realized it wasn't either of those when I noticed the golden halo the setting sun was outlining this litte critter with as its rays passed through the yellow down. He/she was walking, as fast as its little legs could carry it , down the road in front of me. So I stopped, got out, and fired off a few shots hoping to capture that halo. Not much success with that, though, and the duckling kept walking ... down the road, going from side to side, peeping its little heart out.
I started to walk after it trying to get another shot or two it when something pretty amazing happened! Now, back in my university days I did a lot of psych courses ( in a pinch, I could probably analyze you :-) ... and a lot of math courses, but, that's another story ... but, I always remember the introductory psych course and, in particular, the description of the work done by Konrad Lorenz. Well, all these many years later (and, isn't it pretty amazing when something's happening at the time how you don't really know how it might revisit you again one day in the future... don't have one sweet clue, actually?) I find out that the famous Mr. Lorenz and I now have something in common. Yes, boys and girls, the duckling imprinted on me!!!
Now, before you laugh and accuse me of telling tall tales, let me assure you, that I hold the truth in very high regard and always do my darndest never to bend it ... but, better than that, I have the video to prove it! That duckling really did imprint on ME ... started following me , no, not just following me ... actually running after me ... and let me tell you, little legs or no, it could really move! Down the road, up the road, across the road, and around in circles ... effectively, I had become its mamma! When I'd stop, it would stand right next to my shoe. Move, and it would move. Amazing! I had to be extremely careful that I didn't step on it, it stayed so close
Now, it's getting late, the moose are practically jumping on top of the pickup ... again, no lie! ... and I want to take advantage of whatever daylight I have left. But, what to do with this litle guy? Well, I walked up the road and then back down the other way ... looking for any sign of it's mamma or siblings ... listening intently for any sound of them. Nothing. I waited for close to an hour ... still nothing. Now, I'm in a quandary. I didn't want to leave him/her there, but I didn't exactly feel like interfering with the natural course of events either. It obviously had gotten separated somehow ... perhaps had wandered off from the nest or its family, perhaps was the only survivor of a predator attack ... but, one thing was sure ... it was now totally alone. It would not survive the rest of the evening on that road and certainly not the night. (I was fishing on a river in southern Newfoundland once when one of these litle guys popped down over a small rapid and was swept along downstream. Before you could say, "Quack, quack", a gull swooped down and devoured it! Didn't fly off with it ... just up and swallowed it in one gulp!) All this stuff comes back to you, so, as I said, I wasn't about to leave it there alone. Crows, foxes, gulls and yes, even coyotes and other predators call this area home. So, natural course of events be damned! I cleaned out the small cooler I had had my lunch in, popped him in and took off for home. Not ten minutes later, I had a VERY close call with another moose ... inches, I'd say, not feet, from the Silverado. But, it somehow got turned around and headed back into the woods. Whew ...
... more later. Stay tuned....
By the way, I'm actually beginning to wonder if this might be a baby Canada Goose?
Quack! ... Well, actually, "Cheep, Cheep, Cheep"!
... So, anyway, it's late evening, the sun was going down, I was driving along, minding my own business, dodging moose (literally) and about a half hours drive from Route 480, when, ahead of me, I spotted something in the middle of the road. Thought at first it was a grouse or ptarmigan, but, as I slowed down, I realized it wasn't either of those when I noticed the golden halo the setting sun was outlining this litte critter with as its rays passed through the yellow down. He/she was walking, as fast as its little legs could carry it , down the road in front of me. So I stopped, got out, and fired off a few shots hoping to capture that halo. Not much success with that, though, and the duckling kept walking ... down the road, going from side to side, peeping its little heart out.
I started to walk after it trying to get another shot or two it when something pretty amazing happened! Now, back in my university days I did a lot of psych courses ( in a pinch, I could probably analyze you :-) ... and a lot of math courses, but, that's another story ... but, I always remember the introductory psych course and, in particular, the description of the work done by Konrad Lorenz. Well, all these many years later (and, isn't it pretty amazing when something's happening at the time how you don't really know how it might revisit you again one day in the future... don't have one sweet clue, actually?) I find out that the famous Mr. Lorenz and I now have something in common. Yes, boys and girls, the duckling imprinted on me!!!
Now, before you laugh and accuse me of telling tall tales, let me assure you, that I hold the truth in very high regard and always do my darndest never to bend it ... but, better than that, I have the video to prove it! That duckling really did imprint on ME ... started following me , no, not just following me ... actually running after me ... and let me tell you, little legs or no, it could really move! Down the road, up the road, across the road, and around in circles ... effectively, I had become its mamma! When I'd stop, it would stand right next to my shoe. Move, and it would move. Amazing! I had to be extremely careful that I didn't step on it, it stayed so close
Now, it's getting late, the moose are practically jumping on top of the pickup ... again, no lie! ... and I want to take advantage of whatever daylight I have left. But, what to do with this litle guy? Well, I walked up the road and then back down the other way ... looking for any sign of it's mamma or siblings ... listening intently for any sound of them. Nothing. I waited for close to an hour ... still nothing. Now, I'm in a quandary. I didn't want to leave him/her there, but I didn't exactly feel like interfering with the natural course of events either. It obviously had gotten separated somehow ... perhaps had wandered off from the nest or its family, perhaps was the only survivor of a predator attack ... but, one thing was sure ... it was now totally alone. It would not survive the rest of the evening on that road and certainly not the night. (I was fishing on a river in southern Newfoundland once when one of these litle guys popped down over a small rapid and was swept along downstream. Before you could say, "Quack, quack", a gull swooped down and devoured it! Didn't fly off with it ... just up and swallowed it in one gulp!) All this stuff comes back to you, so, as I said, I wasn't about to leave it there alone. Crows, foxes, gulls and yes, even coyotes and other predators call this area home. So, natural course of events be damned! I cleaned out the small cooler I had had my lunch in, popped him in and took off for home. Not ten minutes later, I had a VERY close call with another moose ... inches, I'd say, not feet, from the Silverado. But, it somehow got turned around and headed back into the woods. Whew ...
... more later. Stay tuned....
By the way, I'm actually beginning to wonder if this might be a baby Canada Goose?