neat thing i saw today

("Tune2828" wrote)
snip
I stopped and focused on one as it was decending to the ground - it's body
was
slightly nose low, wings spread, planning his landing point.


Last spring a (large) group of ducks decided to land in an open grassy area
of our townhouse complex. Lawn out back looks like a small Par 3, surrounded
by 7 or 8 townhouse buildings.

There was a pretty good wind that day. These ducks were flying a large,
slow, half circle pattern at more than 40' AGL, then abruptly turning and
slipping it in, down to a spot on the ground where their buddies were all
hanging out. The glide path for that last 40'? Straight down, fast and
hard - thud.

I think they were either playing, um ...chicken, or they were showing off
for the opposite sex - Hey, watch this. Either way, it was the darndest
thing to watch. Never saw ducks playing *elevator* like that before.

I know there were a few turned ankles in that bunch. Ducks have ankles,
right?

--
Montblack
http://lumma.de/mt/archives/bart.gif