Courtship Follies of the Common Merganser
March 9th, 2010
Photography along the Rideau yesterday morning was out. of. this. world. The lighting was glorious and all the ducks were out in full glory, preening and courting. I took home over 450 pictures to sort through.
The undisputed star of the day was the Common Mergansers. Seven males, one female--and they all wanted her. They came rollicking along while I was watching goldeneyes at Riverain Park. They were so engrossed in what they were doing that they really didn't seem to care how close they got to me.
For many ducks, courtship has something to do with odd contortions: Common Goldeneyes and Hooded Mergansers pop their heads back, Mallards bob their heads up and down. For some reason, neck flexibility is important enough to show it off. Not so the Common Mergansers. For them it's all about speed. Perhaps it's because they're fish-eaters. Fish-eaters are more likely to have a need for speed than, say, ducks who subsist on water weeds or mollusks.
So the males race and chase up and down the river, leaving a wake wherever they go. They chase each other, they chase the female, they posture and squabble. And sometimes the cheeky female gets right into the act!
1680x1050 wallpaper
1680x1050 wallpaper
1680x1050 wallpaper
March 9th, 2010
Photography along the Rideau yesterday morning was out. of. this. world. The lighting was glorious and all the ducks were out in full glory, preening and courting. I took home over 450 pictures to sort through.
The undisputed star of the day was the Common Mergansers. Seven males, one female--and they all wanted her. They came rollicking along while I was watching goldeneyes at Riverain Park. They were so engrossed in what they were doing that they really didn't seem to care how close they got to me.
For many ducks, courtship has something to do with odd contortions: Common Goldeneyes and Hooded Mergansers pop their heads back, Mallards bob their heads up and down. For some reason, neck flexibility is important enough to show it off. Not so the Common Mergansers. For them it's all about speed. Perhaps it's because they're fish-eaters. Fish-eaters are more likely to have a need for speed than, say, ducks who subsist on water weeds or mollusks.
So the males race and chase up and down the river, leaving a wake wherever they go. They chase each other, they chase the female, they posture and squabble. And sometimes the cheeky female gets right into the act!
1680x1050 wallpaper
1680x1050 wallpaper
1680x1050 wallpaper
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