Duck lays eggs, Turtle returns home.

What a gorgeous spring day, second in a row! We spotted a duck egg in the park. Nice and white, with a waxy, slightly opalescent look. Unfortunately, someone had moved it to a sheltered area, so I don't know if mama will sit on it. I explained what we learned in Troutville, 25 years ago, when we had a farm and raised ducks, chickens, goats, etc. A duck will lay an egg every day or so for several weeks. Then, Mama will sit on them for 21 days (if I remember the number correctly) and hatch them. If they're handled, she might not come back. However, obviously the duck egg laying season has started, and I'm sure there are more clutches better hidden around the lake. The other really neat thing was a large box turtle returned to home in the burnt phragmites. I guess the burnt smell, which has been keeping animals away from that spot, has dissipated. The top 3 pictures are the burnt stand of phragmites.

What I love about Prospect Park, is that it is really a park for everyone. Some people love the wildernessy aspect. When Ber and I want wilderness we go upstate to Adirondack Park, officially "forever wild," and backpack and camp for a few days or a week. We have gone days without seeing a soul. Love it,k but don't need it here. Here in Brooklyn it's just a taste of nature for city folk. For all the city folk. A little respite from city pressures. Bird watchers, fisherpeople, children, ball players, dog owners, barbecuers, and even the crackheads. The trick is that everyone needs to be able to share the space. I fear that if there's too much of one activity, like strewing trash, smoking crack, making things very quiet and meditative, or even fishing, there will be a tipping and the park will only be for some. The Parks department makes some decisions that are hard to understand - like concreting large areas, to keep bbqers in certain areas, but not bothering to keep other areas clean.

A Park workers tells us that there were 45 trees down in the storm. They have started to clear away a few, but of course the downed trees on roads are much more hazardous and must be cleared first. All the swans were out in the middle of the lake today. Three of them flew in formation from one side to the other. I tried to catch it on film, but they never seem to fly like that unless my camera is turned off, and I can't get it on fast enough. I'm not giving up!! There's one of them looking for a nibble.

1 crack bag today, 1 yesterday.