Saplings recruitment in last photo
The rusty patch on the male birds side caught my eye. It’s not a bird I’ve seen before. When I slowed down, they were quick to swim away. They are in with ringed-neck ducks.
Deceased
Bizarre case of an aerial whitecedar, possibly due to a witch's broom infection or grew out of rotted bird nest or squirrel drey (though unlikely it would have sustained to this size without parasitism of the host tree).
Found upside down floating.
Back hunting the pond and flooded fields. It didn’t fly away as I took photos from my car.