Pintails on the wing

Right after my son and daughter-in-law packed my granddaughter and all her things into the car and headed home to New Hampshire, I had two choices: sit around and mope, or grab the camera and go outside to try to capture something other than melancholy. I opted for the latter and on a fine, almost warm day, I found something unexpected. Usually, the handsome ducks known as Pintails don't start filling our local ponds until early- to mid-March—right after the ice melts. With the recent warm spell, the ice, of course, is mostly gone, and right on the ice-out schedule, the Pintails put in an appearance. My guess is that they won't be hanging around for long. There's deep cold in this week's forecast, and if that comes to pass, the ducks will high-tail it south enough to escape the chill and, more important for them, the ice that, once it overtakes the ponds, will prevent them from feeding on aquatic plants.