Every year for the past five or more, during the first week or ten days of March, Black Bellied Whistling Ducks return to spend the spring and summer with us. Today, fourteen of them showed up on their first incoming flight of the new year. They were a little timid at first making a few cautious circles. But when they saw the Honkers, Mallards and Woodies up at the feeding station, they were quick to join in. Here, but not in the pics, are two pair of Mandarins that (we think) are nesting with us in the wood duck boxes we have up around the property.

Don't know where the Whistlers go in October for five months but we're always happy to see them return. Their numbers will grow to 35 or so before they leave us again next October. I assume they go down around Houston or further South but it's pretty amazing that they come back to this exact spot for the summer.

I just had some flocks fly over while I was outside in the rain trying to get some of the mud off of the truck from this past season. We always have some in the area.