Birds at Sunnyside Park Ponds

The ponds have male and female mallard ducks. In the Spring, there are mallard ducklings. The mallards make their nests on the island of the big pond. In 1993, there were often 50 mallard ducks at the ponds. In 1998, there were only a few mallard ducks at the ponds. By 1998, The island had become much smaller and there wasn't much space on it for duck to nest. When the pond island was restored and the pond water was cleaned in August, 1999, many mallard ducks returned!! On August 27, 1999, our class counted 40 mallards at the pond!! They must like the clean water and the new island!!! Here is a male mallard duck.   Here is a female mallard duck with her ducklings.

There used to be two black swans that lived at the ponds. The City of Pullman bought the swans for the park. The female black swan was killed by another wild animal. The male black swan died later. Here are the two black swans.

There used to Canada Geese that came to the pond when there were black swans and many mallards there. There haven't been Canada Geese at the pond for several years. We hope they will come back now that the island is restored and the pond water is clean. Here is a picture of a Canada Goose.  Click below see our drawings of Canada Geese.   Canada Geese Fall 1999

There are farm ducks that live at the farm next to the park. Sometimes they would come into the ponds if there are no Canada Geese, no swans and only a few mallards. Here is a picture of the farm ducks.   Here is a picture of a duck that looks like it is part mallard and part farm duck.

Sometimes we see black birds on the edge of the ponds and we hear them up in the willow trees. Here is a picture of a black bird.

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INDEX of Water Habitat Web Pages First Pond Page/A Look At Photo Journals/Writing About Water Habitats/Water Habitat Quilt/First Meeting With Mr.Alan Davis/Response to Pond Floods/Observation of the Great Blue Heron/Presentation to City of Pullman/Pond Birds/Pond Trees and Shrubs/Water Habitat I*EARN Conference Keynote Address/Photo Journal August 1999/Second Meeting With Mr.Alan Davis and Mr. Fetter/Research on Plantings for New Island/Planting Grass Seeds Photo Journal October 1999/Studying Pond Macroinvertebrates/Return to Classroom Index