Ducks at Night (May 17)

I turned my collar up and sat tight. This was the ideal location. So late in the fall, the marshes no longer had their customary appeal for wildlife. Puddle ducks like mallards, blacks, and teal had nearly all departed. The remaining waterfowl were… deeper-water birds. Especially the redheads and bluebills gathered in teeming offshore rafts. Some evening soon they would take wing for faraway wetlands on the Gulf Coast. There would be no warning. But they were still numerous during these last few days. Patience was all I needed. Still… I knew that after tonight it would be a long while before my next chance to watch the Bay like this. There was no reason to scurry back to the Point. By this hour I would be late no matter what.

Saying goodbye to a much-loved location is never easy, even when one hopes to return at some later time. Perhaps you could leave a Comment to share a similar moment that you have experienced.

Pp. 270-1

(Illustration generated by AI)