Pleased to be able to say we have two broods of mallard ducklings -- one with nine, now down to eight, alas, and one with five, still holding on -- and our first brood of American black duck ducklings. Haven't seen them so don't know how many. We also have a pair of goslings almost adult size now. Young terns and barn swallows have been seen chasing their parents around, and of course the sparrows and robins have been producing like mad. There's a good crop of young cormorants, too, including the one I saw today. He'd caught a big fish and spent a good deal of time trying to turn it around so he could eat it. The fish has to go down head first, and this fish put up a good fight. Then, suddenly, the cormorant got it right and slurped it in. He swam over to the pilings drinking water and shaking himself and I'm thinking, damn, that's a live fish in there! Must flop around for awhile. I felt bad for the fish... As Tennyson said, "Nature, red in tooth and claw."