Plying the waters

This is the time of year that residents along the Fox River in northern Illinois keep a wary eye on the rushing waters. Heavy snows over the course of the winter and heavy rains within the past several weeks have swollen the Fox to near-flood levels. The situation is manageable at present, but residents know what the river is capable of doing at a moment’s notice. In Aurora, a temporary dam built to allow study of soil samples gave way last weekend.

There is a decided lack of waterfowl along the river when it rises and rushes. It takes too much work on the part of ducks and geese to try to stay in one place for any length of time. This overworked mallard was treading upstream in Dundee, Illinois. Taking a break from paddling would shoot the duck rapidly downstream. He eventually decided that flight would be a more efficient use of his energy.

Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2008 James Jordan.