Title This…

After walking beneath the kayaks hanging in the garage all spring on the way to my car, I just couldn’t take it any longer so I played hooky on Friday and hit the water for the first time this year.  It was a beautiful, yet breezy, 80+ degree day so I headed up to the Grandfather Falls flowage of the Wisconsin River.

Shortly after I put in and headed up stream, this merganser hen started drawing attention to herself by flapping around and skimming across the water.  I had been skirting the river bank trying to keep out of the wind which also happened to be where her chicks were.  Back out into the center of the river I went.  Wildlife has the right-of-way of course.

A few hours later I was coming back down stream on the opposite river bank (into the sun) and, sure enough, they’d made their way to the other side.  I was in the way again.

Mom Merganser was out in the river calling in the kids and the kids, who’s wings at this point don’t provide a whole lot of value other than to act as stabilizers, hurriedly ran across the water to try to catch up. “Last one to Mom is fish food!”.

Mom and all her fuzzy headed little chicks happily reunited.

“Skittish” seems to pretty much sum up the kayak trip when it came to the wildlife.  Lots of new additions on the river with their focus planted squarely on survival.  A slow day on the river is still better than the best day in the office though so no complaints here.

Have a funny title for Mama Merganser and her Mini-Me’s?  Use the comment section below and remember to have fun.