The Mallards of Odell Lake

We watched a flock of female Mallard ducks during our stay at the Odell Creek Campground earlier this month.

The ladies, about four or five in number, lived around the headwaters of Odell Creek.

Each evening, they fed along the shore of the creek, which is the main drainage for the lake in the eastern Cascade Range in central Oregon.

Usually the main group of females paddled in the wake of several exposed rocks along the southern shore of the creek.

Momma and her ducklings held back 10 or 15 feet further down stream.

I was confused all week as to the number of ducklings. Then Friday morning I had an opportunity to count them as the sat in the morning sun near the campground.

Can you count the ducklings? How many are they?

The answer in a few days.