Quack Quack Quack
Updated: Sep 2, 2021
Connected to Sacandaga Lake is what I've always called Mayfield Lake. (Apple Maps says it's part of Sacandaga.)
My (badass) girlfriend and I look for woodsy, out of the way things to do even when there isn't a pandemic. But, especially when there is one. We were looking for a place to take the kids swimming during hot summer days. We rent and can't put in a pool. One day I thought of Mayfield Lake.
When I was younger we used to go down to the water to drink and camp. I think the land belongs to the Village and is open to the public. There are no posted signs. The only sign there now says No Camping. I'd like to think that I had nothing to do with that.
We starting taking short trips to the lake with the kids to cool off. It is soothing to be out in the woods. (Even with the occasional cranky kid issue.) It's only a 15 minute trip from home. We bring snacks, towels and water shoes. (My step daughter once pulled siding and plywood with nails out of the muck at the bottom.)
One day we went and while we were on the shore snacking a family of Mallard ducks swam by. We could hear them first. Then a mother came into view with her kids swimming along. They quacked conversationally to one another. They came from the direction of reeds. They stuck to shallow water and shook their bills into the sediment at the bottom. Eventually they took a corner and continued along the shore.
We went back fairly regularly in the next couple weeks. We eventually started taking corn with us. With the addition of corn the ducklings became more and more curious. Mom apparently didn't see me as a threat and soon I had the entire group swimming around me and eating out of my hands. After throwing more into the water for them to forage I was able to get nice and close to capture these images.
