Down at the river today, saw the brood of five Gadwall ducklings with their mother among the pilings, having a fine barnacle breakfast. Swimming from the south came the Canada goose family: mama, papa, and gosling. Thought they'd stop for a nibble, too, but they were just passing through. A female mallard came along, was almost on top of the Gadwalls before she spotted them and made the sharpest right turn I've ever seen from a duck. Did not want to get pecked by mother Gadwall. Who would? Mother G. went after her anyway, on principle, came back self-satisfied after moving her not very far along. All this water bird action at a piling field already occupied by sparrows, starlings, seagulls, pigeons, and this morning, a flock of mourning doves. And Urban Naturalist tells me we have yet another brand new brood of Gadwalls north of here. That makes four broods on this stretch of the river. And no mallards. Go figure.