The newly restored Friedrichsweiher in my neighborhood has turned out beautifully. While I still mourn the turtles—which presumably didn’t survive the renovation—the water is clearer than ever, and I’ve known this pond my whole life. It’s also busier than I’ve ever seen it; children are even swimming in it! I’m all the more delighted, then, that the waterfowl have returned and already have offspring. The moorhen family has two or even three chicks, though one of them is always the odd one out—or perhaps actually belongs to a different pair. The best thing about the little ones, however, is their feet; apparently—much like with dogs—they reach their full size right after hatching, revealing just how big the bird will eventually grow to be. Aliens, I tell you!