It’s 17 degrees and sunny this morning. The Mute Swans are dabbling on all sides of the Aiken Street bridge. The river is low and getting lower. The trend presents advantageous for the dabblers who can now assemble in the center of the river instead of just along the edges. They seem to be enjoying themselves as the air is filled with goose bleats and duck jive.
There are now eight Mute Swans on the river. Three are situated on the Riverbend side of the bridge, while recently arrived couple forage on the other side. There’s one new arrival dabbling down by the Boott Mill complex. And a pair can be seen off in the distance at the far side of the Riverbend.
The low water level makes the river a dabblers’ paradise. There are about 300 Mallards foraging or napping all around the Aiken Street bridge, where most of the activity is taking place today. There are 50 or more Canada Geese on the river as well.
Some Mallards are shooting the rapids, something you don’t often see these normally low-key ducks doing. Mallards also take to the air frequently, as they transport themselves from one area to another.
The swans by the bridge are encircled by opportunistic Canada Geese and Mallards, with divers taking up flank positions, ready to swoop in for a bite as the aquatic vegetation is disturbed by the larger waterfowl. A spirit of symbiosis is becoming more prevalent, with the swans taking the lead, the result of their prowess and strength in uprooting aquatic plants.
There are about 20 Common Goldeneyes and five or more Hooded Mergansers further out on the Riverbend where it’s a little deeper.
About ten Common Mergansers have arrived and have stationed themselves down by the Boott Mills complex—two males and eight females.