Ecophoto3: Blake Davis

This photo was taken on November 4th, right outside Lake St. Benedict. I was driving around campus and I saw that there were many ducks in the lake. I already had a picture for this ecophoto but I thought that the ducks were cooler than my previous picture. I always wondered why the ducks were two different colors and after researching I found that these ducks are Mallard Ducks. The Male ones are green and the female ones are more of a brown color. These ducks are the most common ducks in the area and they play a big role in the ecosystem. They help control the population not just on land, but also in many ponds and small lakes. These Mallard ducks help eat and control many aquatic plants and they eat snails, insects, fish, and worms. These ducks are very good for the midwest because they can withstand the cold well. This makes is so the ducks do have ti migrate throughout the winter. Although these ducks are good for our waters because they control plant growth and other species, they do have some predators. they are the prey to many other things like raccoons, weasels, eagles, turtles. They are also haunted and ate for food by many people in the midwest. These ducks play a major role in the food chain. They are predators for many plants and animals, but they are also preyed on by many bigger animals too. Without the Mallard ducks, the ecosystems in the midwest wouldn't be the same as they were without them.

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