Mallard ducks
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This Common Goldeneye drake is not looking at the clouds; he's displaying for a nearby hen. Often, they will lay their heads all the way back onto their backs and stare upward, as part of the mating ritual to attract the female.
Seen in Lake St. Clair, southeast Michigan.
I found this mallard drake along the shore of Lake Michigan in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He was one of fifty taking a break on a grassy hump. Because they are so common around here, we often overlook how beautiful mallards are.
greenhead duck
warming in the winter sun
along the big lake
Image and haiku by John Henry Gremmer
A handsome pochard drake on the flooded tack piece at Slimbridge, this shot was taken from the Robbie Garnett hide.
One of a pair of gadwalls seen on the big pen lake at Slimbridge close to the boardwalk and main buildings on a recent visit. This is the handsome gadwall drake.
Beautiful light here. About twilight, the sun was behind my back, making it hard for the drake to see me and easy to photograph.
Wildwood Lake, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Thank you for taking a look!
A male Mallard preening on the shores of Lake Ontario. Maybe he's getting ready for the mating season.
This common merganser appeared to be explaining something to the disinterested hen. Made me think of mansplaining, which I'd explain the definition, but then I'd be mansplaining :)
A gadwall drake in the big pen at Slimbridge Wetlands Centre. I spotted this handsome bird with his mate close to the boardwalk outside the main buildings on my last visit.
This beautiful Drake has set up home on my local canal over this winter but unfortunately has no mate to accompany him.
Hopefully he will move on soon and meet a partner.
I went to visit him this morning with the intention of getting a reflection shot as the conditions were overcast and calm and the was my favourite shot of the morning.
In full breeding display and proudly showing his hood and colors! One Merganser from a few that overwinter at our city's lakeshore.
Still delving into the archives, more from my favourite place Northumberland. 12th of April and we're off the leash, I've already set my sights on a stunning bird of prey wish me luck.
Wood Duck drake.
Thank you for the visit!
Wildwood Lake, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
1/500 sec. f/6.3 600mm ISO800
This Mallard drake was guarding its mate and I was getting a little too close for his comfort. This was his high-head alert instinct kicking in, trying to decide between flight and fight.
Obviously my telephoto makes it look like I'm a lot close than I really was. I passed by from a distance and he went back to relaxing with his female hen :)
A gadwall drake on South Lake at Slimbridge Wetlands Centre, this shot was taken from the discovery hide and the light was in the right place for once.
A teal drake on the edge of the Rushy Pen lake seen from the Rushy Pen hide at Slimbridge Wetlands Centre.
First year Wood drake coming into his own.
Taken at Wildwood, Hbg, Pa.
Thank you for the clicks and comments!
f/6.3 1/640 sec. ISO320 600mmm
Wind whipping at 32 kph and -6.6 degrees I had to travel to Rockport to see Long-tailed Ducks. Unfortunately they weren't there but we did see these darling Wigeons!
This drake American Wigeon (Anas americana) is enjoying a relaxing moment of a wetland west of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
7 June, 2022.
Slide # GWB_20220607_9433.CR2
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From the 17th to the early 19th century, Amersham in Buckinghamshire was dominated by the Drake family - financially, politically and, as the family controlled the Anglican congregation, religiously too. The Drakes had acquired the Manor of Amersham, and among the privileges this entailed was the right to appoint two members of Parliament (mostly themselves) to London. This is one example of the "rotten boroughs", an injustice that was abolished in 1832. When you enter St Mary's, the Anglican Church in Amersham Old Town, you would find plenty of monuments praising the Drakes. However, on request you might even be ushered into a locked side chapel that is completely dedicated to the memory of the Drakes. In this side chapel you would also find Thomas Drake (18th century) contemplating on Matthew's gospel. This sculpture, in turn, might make you contemplate too.
These birds are usually very skittish and very difficult to photograph, but this fall at a marsh near Toronto a large group has been congregating close to shore as if almost to let the photographers take their photos. Also this is late for these birds - typically they would be on their way south as Ice would begin to build.
Caught this Drake at a small Pond .
Weather was far from being good heavy overcast
cold and light rain.
Medium sized perching duck
Breeding male has an iridescent green and white crested head, red eyes, red and white bill,
chestnut breast, golden flanks and iridescent back
Female is a drab version of the male but is considered striking compared to other duck hens.
Wood ducks typically pair on the wintering grounds or on the return migration to the breeding grounds
Arrive on breeding grounds in April
Nests in preformed tree cavities made by tree diseases, fire scars, lightning, and cavity-making birds like pileated woodpeckers for nest sites and also use artificial nest boxes
Females lay 7-15 white-tan eggs which they incubate for an average of 30 days
Male begins to spend less time with female once she begins incubating eggs
Females stay with young until they have fledged and then leave to undergo a feather molt.
The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches.
Source: Cornell Lab of Orinthology