Sunset Wood Ducks
April 30th, 2015
Testosterone fever at Mud Lake yesterday evening, with drake mallards and drake wood ducks putting on a show. Actually most of the ducks are paired up already, but that's not stopping hopeful third parties doing their best to wedge themselves in! At one point, a pair of male mallards swam around a lone female, bills raised, going "quack. quack. quack." with the most exquisite air of self-importance. It was enough that I and the photographer next to me, formerly too engrossed in our work to pay much attention to each other, had to look at each other and laugh.
People feed the ducks at the north shore, to draw them closer in. I have mixed feelings about it--on the one hand I prefer seeing birds wild, but on the other hand, the photographer in me loves it! (Also on the other hand, it's been a hard, slow spring, and I'm sure they need all the extra food they can get.) You need only kneel down on the rocks, and soon the throng approaches in anticipation of cracked corn. If you don't feed them, they go back to their business, but stay close for awhile just in case, making for some nice photo ops as the drakes pose, preen, dabble, and occasionally tear off racing each other across the water.
1680x1050 wallpaper
1680x1050 wallpaper
Crest fully poofed-out. I only ever see them like that in spring.
1680x1050 wallpaper
April 30th, 2015
Testosterone fever at Mud Lake yesterday evening, with drake mallards and drake wood ducks putting on a show. Actually most of the ducks are paired up already, but that's not stopping hopeful third parties doing their best to wedge themselves in! At one point, a pair of male mallards swam around a lone female, bills raised, going "quack. quack. quack." with the most exquisite air of self-importance. It was enough that I and the photographer next to me, formerly too engrossed in our work to pay much attention to each other, had to look at each other and laugh.
People feed the ducks at the north shore, to draw them closer in. I have mixed feelings about it--on the one hand I prefer seeing birds wild, but on the other hand, the photographer in me loves it! (Also on the other hand, it's been a hard, slow spring, and I'm sure they need all the extra food they can get.) You need only kneel down on the rocks, and soon the throng approaches in anticipation of cracked corn. If you don't feed them, they go back to their business, but stay close for awhile just in case, making for some nice photo ops as the drakes pose, preen, dabble, and occasionally tear off racing each other across the water.
1680x1050 wallpaper
1680x1050 wallpaper
Crest fully poofed-out. I only ever see them like that in spring.
1680x1050 wallpaper
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Mike
May 1st, 2015 at 9:54 am
Lots of good shots... I understand the conflictedness!
The last one is my favorite.
dagibbs
May 1st, 2015 at 9:54 am
I like the water running over the duck, with bow-wave picture.
mustangsallie
May 1st, 2015 at 10:37 am
The colorful beauty of the wood duck still amazes me to this day, and what fun to watch their romantic endeavors!
Your stories and descriptions of events are always amusing as well.