One Tough Duck

I was convinced that the Wood Duck I've affectionately named "Waldo" had not survived our Minnesota winter. It was over a month ago since I last saw him despite many stops over at the "Duck Pond" on the southwest corner to look for him. But a friend of mine recently told me that he'd been spotted again so I headed over there soon after arriving. Indeed Waldo was back! I don't know where he'd gone because all the rest of the Mallards had been there every time I checked -but who knows, maybe it was a different group of Mallards each time. For all that cold weather he's had to put up with, today at least Waldo was enjoying some warmer temperatures. He seemed to be in good health from what I can tell, and making quiet squeaking sounds as I watched. The warm temps today were even melting the snow still clinging to the shady side of branches high above. At certain parts along the trail it seemed to be almost raining as the snow melted. I even got wet feet by walking through some puddles that were deceptively deeper than they looked. I paused for a moment to snap some photos of bubbles that would pop up from the dripping water overhead. I didn't notice until I got home that I could see my own reflection in addition to the trees behind me! Later on I saw a Northern Shrike, Hairy Woopecker and a Blue Jay in addition to lots of Tree Sparrows. This one in particular let me get closer than usual and turned out pretty good. I'm still trying to learn my Sparrows better but at this time of year there is really only one you'll see and that is the American Tree Sparrow with the dark spot on it's breast. Sometimes that's not so easy to see, so for me it's easier to identify from the dark upper beak and yellow lower beak.