HONEYMOONING AT NIAGARA FALLS

Not really - it's a river near my home in Michigan...

This lovely mallard couple look like they’re enjoying a nice day on the water – trouble is, it was only 12 degrees F, and the water must have felt like ice. (You can see the snow and icicles at the top of the picture.) The dozen or so ducks in their group were right at the base of an underground spring that tumbles down rocks into the river. Perhaps the water there is a bit warmer, but definitely not anything close to reasonable. (Three more pictures of 'cold ducks' are on Flickr.)

With my daughter visiting this weekend, we went to the Grand River looking for blip opportunities. She had decided on hers earlier, so she kept the ducks’ attention with lots of bird seed while I took several shots. My fingers went numb in a matter of minutes, but these ducks seemed totally comfortable.* Hoping for treats, the ducks weren't the least bit afraid - one even pecked at my daughter's boots looking for seeds. We had a great time together, lots laughs and fun.

*Ducks and birds have a ‘counter-current heat exchange’ (ie; retia), in their legs whereby the warmer blood flowing from the heart (in arteries) heats the cooler blood returning from the feet (in veins). This provides enough blood for the tissues in the feet and prevents frostbite. They only lose 5% of their body heat through their feet when standing on ice, while at the same time their down feathers keep their bodies comfortably warm. Also, their feathers prevent water from soaking in to their skin.