Life and death out north-

It has been really pretty the last few days. I was super glad I shared that family of green winged teal in the last post, the mom has no one left. The last one was taken out by the loon on Saturday afternoon. The loon who is just here on our lake as a decoy for his own family which is elsewhere! The wigeon is below, he's been seen, but I also learned his mate isn't around. Many of the males tend to leave the mom after incubation. (the teal is another one of those) So, if the brood is all destroyed, unless the female finds a new male, her season of babies is done for the year. 

Below is Miss Kitty. She lives at the North Kenai feed store and is an absolute love! Unless you are a rodent and then you are history. 

This bleached carcass of wood intrigued me. I'm pretty sure this was a 'log' which had washed up nearer Arness dock. Now, it is a cut up root end not as close to the dock! Very cool looking, even with most of it gone. 

It was a gorgeous day out north on Saturday. I had gone to take trash to the dump and out by the pool wisps of fog were coiling in the trees. It was crazy. When  I reached the Spur, on the right towards town the road was obscured. On the left, out north, it was blue skies and sunshine!!!!!! 

 I was amused to see mom's sunflower seeds are growing. I always laugh when I read the seeds are sterile. This one won't get very large (maybe I should pull it up and try to grow it!), but it is growing!

There is a mallard creche on the lake. Or was until Saturday. As mentioned above, the loon has been taking out babies one by one. I went out in the kayak and the loon was on the lake and circling in the sky above were a full grown and an immature eagle. I don't recall which blog it was, but the author mentioned how bittersweet it was to see babies on the lake she lived on. Because she knew most of them would never grow up. I absolutely understand. I know it is the cycle of life, but the last years we've had few babies reach adulthood. 

I have yet to go out on Sunday and see how many she has left in her creche. I'm betting she's down to at least a normal nest size. Thankfully, mallards are ones who brood more than once in a season. We also don't have any golden eye babies yet. Although, to be honest, those moms are terrible! At least the teal and mallards tend to keep their babies to the shallow parts of the lake. The golden eye seem to let their go anywhere they might want to paddle!