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Evening at Indian Springs

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Evening at Indian Springs Clouds silently drift across the evening sky. The warm yellows of autumn reflect in the calm waters of Indian Springs near Jackson Wyoming. And a pair of Trumpeter Swans warm themselves in the fading light. Soon the sun will set on Autumn, the leaves will fall, the snows will come and winter will overtake this small pond clogging it with ice. More swans will come to visit and this pond will be alive will wildfowl. Ducks, Geese, and of course, the swans call this place home for the winter.      Indian Springs nestles at the base of Boyle's Hill and is part of the Wyoming Wetlands Society. The pond can be found just a few miles west of the Maverik Store on South Park Loop Rd at the south end of the City of Jackson Wyoming. If you find yourself in Jackson in the winter it is well worth the drive out to take a look.            The Wyoming Wetlands Society was set up to help improve the nesting opportunities for the, at the time, failing Trumpe

A Cool Drink - Mandarin Duck

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A Cool Drink - Mandarin Drake You can smell the decaying leaves signaling the changing of the seasons. A lone Mandarin Drake duck sneaks from his hiding place in the thick timbers to take a drink of the cool waters that soon will be frozen over. He's still wearing his full breeding plumage of brown, buff, purple and green. With just the right amount of white to accent the striking colors. He stops and looks around, making sure there are no predators then takes a quick drink and disappears back into the wood-lot he calls home...at least for the summer. Mandarin Ducks are native to Asia, however, due to their beautiful colors, they have become popular throughout the world, where they adorn many ponds and waterways. This fine specimen was photographed at a secluded waterway in Utah. Mandarin Ducks are a close cousin to the American wood duck, sharing many of their habits including nesting in trees. During mating season they can be seen flashing their beautiful hoo