Anatidae and Ungulates

Anatidae is the bird family that include ducks and geese. 

This black duck appeared in my yard, following some geese around. The red marking above his beak  suggests he may be part muscovy. The white mark is not his eye; his eye is above it. 

The white goose is one of a family that visits my yard every day. The geese rule the lake and the land around it!

There's a small strip of wetland between our yard and our neighbor's. We don't venture there but the birds like it. Here I'm looking at Canada Geese marching across the grass beyond the swampy strip.

On Thursday we drove to the recycling center and then made a brief visit to Shenandoah National Park. We saw three deer but only one was near a parking place where I could stop and take pictures.

Both deer and horses are ungulates, or hoofed animals. I just read that whales are descended from ungulates! That seems surprising but then consider that a hippo is an ungulate, and a whale seems kind of like a big ocean hippo! 

Saturday Critters / I'd Rather Be Birdin'