Yesterday morning, from our window view onto headwaters of Leeds Creek, I saw the close call escape of male Ruddy Duck - running along the water surface and then diving to avoid a pair of river otters. The otters surfaced with no duck, and some time later the duck emerged about 100 yards downstream. That duck, along with two others (females), appeared in our section of Leeds Creek on May 19th, and all three have been loitering here ever since. But yesterday the only one I saw was the male. Perhaps the others ended up as otter food? Isn't this a bit late for a Ruddy to still be around here? Les Roslund Lroslund@bluecrab.org Easton, MD