A prairie slough can be an endless source of observational fascination and emotional rejuvenation. Standing at water’s edge reveals a turmoil of bubbling life as microbes, insects, waterfowl and songbirds busy themselves with the ongoing renewal of existence. A recent hatch of damselflies at this slough was likely a source of nutrition for some species and predator to others.
An American Coot was quite content to swim close to me and continue it’s frequent head bobbing into the water as if it was at the county fair bobbing for apples. You can see a limp piece of water vegetation across it’s back.
The blackbirds were abundant with both Red-winged and Yellow-headed present. This must have been a fertile slough as there were a number of pairs noisily giving me the bird equivalent of ‘the finger salute’ if I wandered too close.
Female Red-winged Blackbird.
Male Yellow-headed Blackbird.
Astonishment was my first feeling when I saw the next picture on my computer. I did not see the crow flying by when I snapped the shutter. The picture has a rather sinister feel to me.
