Backyard Nature: Meeting the mallard family and sneaking up on frogs in Linnean Stream

by Marlene Berlin

Say hello to some of our newest neighbors.

I had been seeing these two male mallards hanging out together, and wondered whether a family was nearby. I got my answer about a week ago, when I spotted Mom and Pop Mallard and the kids.

They grow so fast. This is Mom and the ducklings waddling and swimming about last Wednesday.

Green frogs (which also come in brown) are more bashful. To spot one, you first need to pause and listen for one. Their calls sound like this:

Sometimes they hang out at the split log crossing near Broad Branch Terrace and Fessenden Street.

And you can sneak up on one.

You can also see tadpoles in many of the ponds.

Wildlife can make itself comfortable in surprising places. I spotted a mallard pair enjoying the pond on the grounds of the former Polish ambassador’s residence on Albemarle Street.

Maybe we’ll be seeing their babies soon, too.