Don't miss the photos of cast members at the bottom of this story -

The plot is a mystery.

The curtain opened in the first of many off-Broadway spring dramas involving actors of Little Riley Creek last week. We anticipated theatre, but never knew what type or when.

It started when a female hooded merganser showed up a week ago.

After watching this bird, common in the Midwest, but no-so-common on Riley Creek, others joined the cast.

The merganser hung with a pair of mallard ducks, more familiar with the Riley Creek terrain. The trio owned the waters from Grove Road bridge down to Adams Bridge.

Eventually a great blue heron made its appearance. Not forgetting that a pair of Canada geese are on stage, from time to time.

Meanwhile, overhead about two dozen turkey vultures watched, guarding the three-some, or placed bets on nature taking its own course (that didn’t happen).

And some crows, who refused posing for the camera, instead made lots of racket, while roosting nearby the vultures.

The scene really became interesting with a muskrat’s debut on the bank. Hanging around by itself, it eventually introduced itself to the merganser and mallards.

In the final photo in this series you will see the female mallard following the muskrat to the creek bank. The male and merganser were close by not in photo range. Not knowing the dialect of these characters, we’ve missed the storyline at this point.

End of Act 1.

Being only March, toads and frogs will enter sometime soon in this drama, unless the heron has anything to say about that.

Stay tuned for Act 2.