Drip-Dry
A male mallard shoots out of a wetland pond on its way to a more favorable setting, at least for a while. Note the water flying off his body as he departs.
Mallards, like most ducks, have a wonderful natural system for staying dry after they have been in the water, a system that to a casual observer is largely a mystery.
Most ducks have a special gland near the base of their tale that contains an oil. Several times throughout a day, ducks will used their beak to spread this oil over their feathers. This oil helps waterproof the edges of their feathers so that water beads up and rolls off the feathers much like water acts on a well waxed car.
In addition, the structure of ducks feathers interlock, acting like Velcro to help the feathers form a tight barrier to water. The duck’s feathers are maintained throughout the day to keep the feathers effective. As we watch a duck, we often refer to this action as “preening.”
And, the simplest way ducks get rid of water on their bodies when flying off is to simply give a powerful shake, sometimes right after they take off and other times in mid-flight as well as right after landing.
The explosion of water droplets seen in this photo often happen too quickly to be seen by the naked eye but with the advent of faster shutter speeds on modern cameras, we are privileged to see natural actions that we were hard-pressed to a couple of decades ago.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
Drip-Dry
A male mallard shoots out of a wetland pond on its way to a more favorable setting, at least for a while. Note the water flying off his body as he departs.
Mallards, like most ducks, have a wonderful natural system for staying dry after they have been in the water, a system that to a casual observer is largely a mystery.
Most ducks have a special gland near the base of their tale that contains an oil. Several times throughout a day, ducks will used their beak to spread this oil over their feathers. This oil helps waterproof the edges of their feathers so that water beads up and rolls off the feathers much like water acts on a well waxed car.
In addition, the structure of ducks feathers interlock, acting like Velcro to help the feathers form a tight barrier to water. The duck’s feathers are maintained throughout the day to keep the feathers effective. As we watch a duck, we often refer to this action as “preening.”
And, the simplest way ducks get rid of water on their bodies when flying off is to simply give a powerful shake, sometimes right after they take off and other times in mid-flight as well as right after landing.
The explosion of water droplets seen in this photo often happen too quickly to be seen by the naked eye but with the advent of faster shutter speeds on modern cameras, we are privileged to see natural actions that we were hard-pressed to a couple of decades ago.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)