Day 4, June 1, 2005.
I rode across Klamath Marsh today. And I saw all sorts of birds – most of which I had no idea what kind of bird they were. I saw one bald eagle, some falcons that I assume were Peregrine falcons, no pelicans, no herons, no cranes. But so many ducks that I’m willing to bet I saw at least a few of pintails, mallards, gadwalls, canvasbacks, redheads, and wood ducks. The ducks would wait until I got close and then launch. They would launch in whatever direction they happened to be pointed. So, if the duck was pointed in the same way I was riding, they would launch, fly for a 50 or 60 yards, land, realize I was still bearing down on them, and launch again. Some would do this 4 or 5 times before finally choosing a different direction to fly away.
But the geese, and they looked like Canadian geese, were a sly sort. As I approached, they would lower their heads and swim through the grasses, silently gliding away from danger. It was most entertaining to watch the baby geese imitating the parents.
Steve