Spring Duck Sightings

to me the definition of the arrival of spring has always been signified by the returning of ducks.  Yesterday morning when I left the house I told my husband that I would be back with a picture of a duck, and as the morning developed I was proved right.  I checked my favourite pond at Central Blissville and there was a large pool of water there but no ducks in it, so I continued on to the bridge at Hoyt but before arriving at my destination I spied movement in a small roadside brook.  "Yes!!  I saw a couple of ducks!!  I thought they were Mallards, but I was delighted with the surprise of seeing both; a male Mallard and a male Wood Duck as I downloaded my pictures!! Wow! the Wood Duck sighting was a treasure!

|I then drove on to the bridge at Hoyt where it crosses Back Creek. The river was wide open there but no ducks. However when leaving the bridge I saw  a considerable number of ducks on a large pool of water on the flats at that locationalong the highway, opposite the old Smith barn. The ducks at Hoyt were mainly all Black Ducks and Mallards.  We also saw a Canada Goose at Hoyt.

My surprises weren't all over yet as I drove around the area looking for more birds and I saw one beside another flooding area.  Standing on a mound of earth beside a small stream of water was a Killdeer!!

I was having a wonderful morning!!!!

So, I then returned home with my photographic finds!
We had planned to drive to the Maguerville, Sheffield area for the

afternoon and just as we were leaving the village we saw a magnificent Eagle in flight, but I didn't get its picture!
At Maugerville we found the Saint John River still frozen solid!However we did see a small group of Red-winged Blackbirds along the roadside and a beautiful flock of Canada Geese flying overhead. Later in the afternoon  after  we were back home again, my husband was sure he saw an Osprey flying over the river.  Luckily for the Osprey, our river, the Oromocto, is now open in our area and there is a strong possibility that the Osprey have already returned.  That shall be my focus of today, checking out the Osprey nests here to see if there are any Ospreys on the old nests.
I also am searching for Goldeneye Ducks and Hooded Mergansers.  Isn't spring wonderful?!