Ducks and Ducklings at the Capitol Reflecting Pool

It was soooo busy in DC today. Apparently the tourists and visitors exceed the number from before the pandemic. There were hoards of buses and huge groups. I hate it when it gets this busy - my husband loves it. I try to avoid the city near the weekend. Wednesday is usually the best day to visit when the crowds are around. But for whatever reason we couldn’t make it until today. And we try to drive in at least once a week for a change of scenery and enjoy our old neighborhood. We parked right in front of our old condo when we couldn’t find any street parking along the mall. I didn’t need to get any specific photos for the weekly photo challenge because I already had some options.  So we were just in the mood for a morning walk. Congress must be out because the streets around the Capitol were quiet. But one area wasn’t as quiet - the Capitol reflecting pond. The ducks and the ducklings were everywhere and they were capturing the attention of all of the passersby. This is the busiest time of year to observe the babies and their guardians and it’s always fun to watch the feathered friends. After that we walked to the botanic garden and then headed back to the car. I can’t tell you how many times we walked this way over the last almost eighteen years of living here. There is always something to see and we are able to still enjoy it. 

Ducks in the Capitol Reflecting Pond

Yesterday we drove in to town just for the sake of it. We parked on the National Mall in between the Hirshhorn and the Air and Space Museums. Both of these places are under construction and the streets are always filled with work vehicles, clogging things up. We always use the Parkmobile app for about an hour since we no longer live on Capitol Hill with resident parking. The first stop was the Enid Haupt Garden by the Smithsonian castle. Everything looks almost overgrown but still worth the visit. Since we try to get in about two miles on our morning walk we headed out towards the Capitol. The visitor activity is increasing but I can’t imagine it’s worth the effort since everything is still closed - even the US Botanic garden. As always we walked by the Capitol reflecting pond and it was filled with duck families. Most of the ducks were sunning themselves on the pool’s edge. The male mallards are beginning to lose their bright green necks so all of them are blending in. My husband keeps saying how nice it is that we can still enjoy the city since we only live a few miles away. If you time it right it does make for a lovely drive and great scenery. On the way back to the car we stopped at the Indian museum’s pond and realized our parking time had run out. So we walked faster to get to the car and were ten minutes late. Luckily we didn’t get a ticket since the city has started to reissue them. I need to pay closer attention to the time. But when I start taking photos it doesn’t matter. 

Ducks of all Ages at the Reflecting Pond

It’s been a while since we walked past the Capitol reflecting pond. This year there seems to be a huge population of ducks. And they come in all sizes. You could hear them all quacking from a block away. And you could also hear the tiny peeps of the ducklings mixed in. The surprising thing is how nonchalant and easygoing they all seem to be - even with young children and adults alike coming very close for comfort. It seems they rule the area, along with a few pigeons here and there. What was missing were the seagulls who normally fight for attention - and food. There are signs posted to not feed the birds, but it tends to get ignored. So, as always, I like to get a closer view. My husband likes to keep his distance so as not to bother the animals. The other day we came across a hawk taking a bath in a puddle by union station. That was unexpected and dramatic. This set up is more serene and not surprising. But as an animal lover, I always get a kick out of it. 

Duck Ramp at the Capitol Reflecting Pool

It’s been about six weeks since we’ve seen the female mallard ducks. They have all been hiding somewhere in plain sight, while the males are hanging about in groups. Until today! When we took our morning walk towards the National Mall, we walked by the very familiar Smithsonian American Indian Museum pond and looked around. Off in the distance was a mother duck with about ten ducklings swimming along the edges where the water meets the mud. On our way back we checked out the Capitol reflecting pool. There were many ducks everywhere including a lone baby in search of it’s family. The Architect of the Capitol constructed at least two ramps for the tiny ones to climb on to get back in to the pool. It’s not unusual to see visitors trying to catch and release the ducklings who struggle to get back in to the water once they get out of it. The sides to the pool are just too high to navigate at an early age. We didn’t walk all the way over to the corner where most of the birds congregate at that time of the day. It’s the twelfth year now that we’ve watched spring turning to summer in DC. And the ducklings are a sure sign of things to come.