Duck Derby 2011

I've again blipped the annual fund-raising spectacle at Allens Pond, a Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary in Westport MA. Supporters of the Sanctuary sponsor small, yellow rubber ducks, at $10 each (5,690 ducks this year--up nearly 20% from a year ago). Each duck is numbered and they are let loose all at once to race in a tidal channel as the high tide comes in.

This blip is near the end of today's race (here is last year's). The tide is carrying the ducks to the left, between the blue and white booms, and the fellow in the blue shirt is preparing to pick up the winning duck. The winner gets a trip for two to have dinner anywhere in the world (including air fare and two nights at a hotel).

Allens Pond has been my favorite spot for bird photography since 2005; you can get a sense of that here.