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Birds - Ducks Page 10
Image Taken on 31 Jul 2012
at 17:43 Image of day on 17 Sep 2012
This Mallard Duck departs from us with sufficient lack of panic
that we can got the odd image. This first one is horizontally
stretched so you can enjoy the water splash and droplets.
 1-3 of 6 (hor stretch montage @ 5 fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20120917_df1_20120731_1743_308-310 mallard duck taking off from duck pond (broken sequence) 1-3 of 6 (hor stretch montage @ 5 fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 31 Jul 2012
at 17:43 Image of day on 17 Sep 2012
These three are an accurate montage with water still dropping from her plumage.
 4-6 of 6 (accurate montage @ 5 fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20120917_df1_20120731_1743_312-314 mallard duck taking off from duck pond (broken sequence) 4-6 of 6 (accurate montage @ 5 fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Jul 2014
at 10:48 Image of day on 22 Sep 2014
A juvenile enjoying a good preen - preening for birds is instinctive.
.jpg)
Ref: 20140922_d5c_20140716_1048_245 mallard duckling on bank of pond with siblings(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 27 May 2019
at 17:32 Image of day on 05 Jul 2019
A genuine moment from 3 Mallard Ducks in flight. The female (left) and two males
flew past, perhaps 100m away.
 in flight 2 of 3 (crop in tight formation)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20190705_df5_20190527_1732_049 3 mallard ducks (female + 2 males) in flight 2 of 3 (crop in tight formation)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 27 May 2019
at 17:32 Image of day on 05 Jul 2019
A few seconds later, this time against some blue sky, the female has moved to the front.
 in flight 3 of 3 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20190705_df5_20190527_1732_066 3 mallard ducks (female + 2 males) in flight 3 of 3 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 29 Feb 2012
at 16:17 Image of day on 30 Mar 2012
This pair of mallard ducks found this site during frozen weather, and
turned up on most evenings in the following weeks.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20120330_d5c_20120229_1617_086_fb2 pair of mallard ducks feeding (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Mar 2012
at 16:32 Image of day on 29 Mar 2012
This pair of Mallard ducks were circling the plot (waiting for us to leave)
and for a moment flew atypically close together.
This montage (at ether 5 to 7 fps) has each unmodified image of
the pair arbitrarily spaced.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20120329_df1_20120301_1632_103-105 pair of mallard ducks flying close together 1-3 of 4 (arb montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 19 May 2013
at 12:07 Image of day on 30 Jun 2013
The Mallard ducks are still with us - we expect them to vanish
when they moult. We have not seen any ducklings yet and may not -
most years they are promptly marched down to the local brook dodging
the traffic :-(
Here is a typical flyby - a female with 2 males. Females seem to
be able to fly faster than the males as here (female in the
middle) - she started behind the males and ended up in front.
 5-7 of 9 (arbitrary montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20130630_df1_20130519_1207_438-440 3 mallard ducks in flight (female between 2 males) 5-7 of 9 (arbitrary montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Apr 2016
at 16:33 Image of day on 05 Jun 2016
The two Mallard Drakes chasing one (female) Duck is a fairly common sight.
This skyful of ducks is an accurate montage of 6 sequential frames of the action.
The female ends at the lower left and is the lowest bird for the previous 5 images.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20160605_df3_20160430_1633_034-039 3 mallard ducks in flight 1-6 of 6 (accurate montage @ 6fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Sep 2020
at 07:07 Image of day on 24 Oct 2020
Mallard ducks moult by losing all their flight feathers and staying safe on the water.
As they end the moult they start 'exercising' in groups for flights lasting several minutes.
Here a group of 4 (plus a 'tail-end-Charlie' we have left out) flew round the brook several
times, a lot of the time with their wings beating in accurate synchrony as here.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20201024_d73_20200910_0707_124-126 4 mallard ducks in flight with wings in unison 1-3 of 4 (approx montage @10fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Apr 2009
at 16:20 Image of day on 26 Apr 2009
... and an unrelated flight on the next day.
.jpg)
Ref: 20090426_db1_20090404_1620_157 mallard female & 2 males in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Apr 2009
at 18:01 Image of day on 26 Apr 2009
Groups of 3 or 4 mallard ducks frequent us this time of year, usally one
female with 2 or 3 males. Here they are taking off against the daffodils
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090426_db1_20090403_1801_032 mallard female & 2 males taking off from kite meadow 4 of 8 (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Mar 2009
at 17:38 Image of day on 02 Apr 2009
When walk about at this time of year we often disturb mallard ducks
at one or more ponds. These are 'wild' ducks rather than park ducks
looking for handouts! The female is between two males.
.jpg)
Ref: 20090402_db1_20090316_1738_020 mallard female and 2 males in flight at sunset(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Mar 2009
at 17:38 Image of day on 02 Apr 2009
The females often keep going until none but the fittest male is
left. Here the male at the rear is beginning to tire.
.jpg)
Ref: 20090402_db1_20090316_1738_046 mallard female and 2 males in flight at sunset(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Mar 2016
at 17:47 Image of day on 23 Apr 2016
An hour after her previous visit, this female Mallard duck gets
first choice from the just replenished buffet.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20160423_e62_20160317_1747_025_fb5 mallard female feeding at meadow site (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Mar 2009
at 10:57 Image of day on 23 Mar 2009
A piece of behaviour we have not seen/noticed before is the male
mallard duck helping the hungry female (eating to make eggs) by
stiring up the water with his feet but not feeding himself.
Note the bubbles as she (left) filters food out of the water and
ripples around him (right) as he paddles like mad keeping still.
The cooperation between mallard males and females breeding on a
quiet pond contrast markedly with the disgraceful frenzies at
over-populated public park lakes.
.jpg)
Ref: 20090323_dc1_20090306_1057_028 mallard female filter feeding making bubbles while male stirs water with feet without feeding(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 09 Apr 2008
at 16:02 Image of day on 25 Apr 2008
... and now Her ...
.jpg)
Ref: 20080425_da1_20080409_1602_020 mallard female in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Mar 2013
at 10:47 Image of day on 04 May 2013
In the Spring we often see pairs of Mallard ducks feeding in the ponds,
with the more hungry female (building herself for egg-production)
diving completely underwater to grab sunken food.
In this sequence she went down with a splash & stayed underwater for
about 3 seconds and popped back up roughly where she submerged.
The guarding male often dabbles at items her plunge brings to the
surface. Sometimes an angled dive with little splash is followed
by her swimming up to 2 metres underwater before re-appearing -
on one occasion surfacing right under the male!
Unless you have an 'HD' screen you will have to scroll down to see the
5 slices of images that we chose.
 01+04+20+24+28 of 28 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20130504_df1_20130326_1047_020-047 mallard female plunge diving to feed in main pond as male guards (about 7fps) 01+04+20+24+28 of 28 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Apr 2008
at 17:46 Image of day on 19 Apr 2008
A Mallard duck (the female) leaping from the water in the evening
sunlight. The background are some flower daffodils and silver
birch trunks.
.jpg)
Ref: 20080419_da1_20080401_1746_082 mallard female taking off from main pond(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Dec 2011
at 12:40 Image of day on 31 Jan 2012
For a couple of days the main pond was visited by just this one
male Mallard Duck with 2 females. While the females are building
themselves up the male 'guards' them - i.e. tries to keep them
for himself come Spring!
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20120131_dc1_20111223_1240_031 mallard male guarding 2 females feeding (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
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