Contemplative Yoga Pose

I had no idea that a Mallard could balance on one leg on a branch, while resting with her beak tucked into her wing, until I saw this one do just that at Lake Padden today!

Nearby, another rested contentedly on a branch with her legs hidden and webbed feet apparently up to the task of keeping her in place as she enjoyed the sunshine and freedom from duckling-rearing duties.

In other nature news, yesterday I spotted this mysterious long-haired white caterpillar on one of my bean plants. I spent over an hour trying to find out what it was, including looking through photos and descriptions of 239 species of Pacific Northwest caterpillars and butterflies, skippers, and moths online here. It's well worth a visit, if only to see the amazing range of caterpillar colors, patterns, and shapes!

The closest match, although not an absolute one by any means, was the Spotted Tussock Moth on page 79 of the 324-page online publication.

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