On a quiet afternoon at the no-name pond, a hooded merganser swims slowly along. The exposed shoreline is a visible result of the summer drought.

In an inlet on a nearby lake, I usually find a flotilla of ducks. As we approach, they sometimes fly away in a rush. At other times, the will just mosey out of the inlet as we come closer, as shown above.

This gull was spotted over a central Maine pond last week; probably a herring gull but has dark eyes and a black beak marker. Does not match anything in my guide books.