Loantaka Pond and Forsythia.

12-4-16 SHORT HILLS: We were in NYC both Friday and Saturday nights for shows, but I’ll talk abut those later. Today we dog walked with Bill at Loantaka Brook Reservation. The weather was great and we did two loops separately because a connecting bridge is blocked for repairs. Judy was recognized by young boy whose school she visits with the dogs. Actually it was the dogs who were recognized. He and Maizie were both glad to see each other.

There is a large pond, perhaps two acres, at the reservation occupied by a lot of water birds. There is a mute swan and a lot of ducks including many mallards and two other species, ID’s pending consultation with Garden Daily consultants.

On a somber note—friend Bill was tripped by dogs on the last leg of the walk and took a tumble. He seemed OK at the time but will probably be sore tomorrow. The actual event happened so quickly that we couldn’t get live shots, so it was necessary to stage a re-creation of the accident.

Before Thanksgiving there was a brief cold snap that gave us a frost. I don’t think we have had another one, and it has been pretty warm since then. Forsythia foolishly decided it might be a short winter and an early spring and popped a few flowers. They do the same thing every fall, I wonder if somebody is still buzzing around to do the pollination?

New blooms: forsythia.


Mute swan and mallards.

Forsythia thought it might be an early spring.

Ducks on the pond - I'm guessing these are Gadwalls, expert testimony requested.

Gadwalls again, perhaps.

More mallards.

I think these are female lesser scaups, anyone??
Dog walker down. Full disclosure: the actual event took so fast that this picture is a re-creation of the accident.