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Birds - Ducks Page 11
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
Image Taken on 09 Apr 2008
at 16:02 Image of day on 25 Apr 2008
The Mallard duck pairs often take off together, but not so far
close enough for a satisfactory 'pair of ducks in flight' pic. So
here they are one at a time having panned from one to the other.
First Him ...
.jpg)
Ref: 20080425_da1_20080409_1602_015 mallard male in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Apr 2016
at 10:01 Image of day on 05 Jun 2016
A Male Mallard duck flies by making his soft quack as he goes.
Those lovely colours will soon be moulted away into the summer 'eclipse'.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20160605_df3_20160430_1001_006 mallard male in flight 1 of 7 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Apr 2016
at 10:01 Image of day on 05 Jun 2016
A Male Mallard duck flies by making his soft quack as he goes.
Those lovely colours will soon be moulted away into the summer 'eclipse'.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20160605_df3_20160430_1001_006-009 mallard male in flight 1-4 of 7 (close spaced montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Mar 2010
at 16:34 Image of day on 25 Apr 2010
The same bird decided the photographers (on their way to chuck
some food into the pond) were altogether close enough, and off he
went.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20100425_df1_20100325_1634_176-180 mallard male in flight passing trees 06-10 of 14 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Mar 2010
at 16:33 Image of day on 25 Apr 2010
A single mallard drake at the edge of a pond. We don't know
whether he had a female nearby on eggs. Traditionally the males
keep away from the nest so as not to give away it's location to predators.
.jpg)
Ref: 20100425_df1_20100325_1633_166 mallard male on edge of duck pond glistening in evening sunshine(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Apr 2013
at 19:00 Image of day on 22 Jun 2013
With the females mostly setting on eggs one of the lonely male
Mallard ducks taking off from the Duck-shaped pond.
This and the next image are accurately spaced at about 7 fps.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20130622_df1_20130427_1900_057+058+060+062+064 mallard male taking off from bank of duck pond 01+02+04+06+08 of 18 (acc montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Apr 2013
at 19:00 Image of day on 22 Jun 2013
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20130622_df1_20130427_1900_068+70+72 mallard male taking off from bank of duck pond 12+14+16 of 18 (acc montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Jun 2009
at 17:45 Image of day on 16 Jul 2009
Unusual view of a mallard drake. Maybe he has spotted a tasty
worm to catch. Out of frame in this crop a female mallard is
pattering along in the dark behind him The bright yellow beak has
faded but the orange feet remain vivid.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090716_d35_20090615_1745_047_fb4 mallard male walking in crouch followed by female (web crop 2)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 16 May 2013
at 18:09 Image of day on 30 Jun 2013
Mallard ducks smothered in Duckweed seems to be the standard view when
on the ground at the moment. This male is beginning to lose some of
his wonderful colour.
.jpg)
Ref: 20130630_df1_20130516_1809_202 mallard male wet and splattered with duckweed(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Feb 2012
at 16:50 Image of day on 14 Mar 2012
For a few months at the start of most years we are graced by a
few mallard ducks. Normally they stick to feeding at the ponds
and waddling along the paths, but when the ponds are frozen they
seek out other sources of food.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20120314_d5c_20120206_1650_046_fb2 2 mallard males and 1 female (crop)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Apr 2014
at 17:42 Image of day on 08 Jun 2014
The male Mallard ducks now hang around in small groups, probably in the
hope of waylaying a female. Here they watched us approaching the pond
and almost simultaneously decided to leave.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20140608_df2_20140423_1742_172 2 mallard males taking off from main pond 4 of 7 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 22 May 2009
at 09:34 Image of day on 17 Jun 2009
And here they spent most of the day alternately on the bank of the main
pond and then feeding in it outside the kitchen window.
 in grass by edge of dragon pond (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090617_db1_20090522_0934_112 mallard mother and 3 of 4 ducklings (2 preening) in grass by edge of dragon pond (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 07 May 2006
at 15:53 Image of day on 15 May 2006
This pair of mallard seem almost 'tame' and swim quietly to the
other side of any pond we approach. Bit different to the
'peck your ankles for food' birds at a local park though!
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20060515_p32_20060507_1553_327 pair of mallard on duck pond (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image of day on 25 Feb 2005
1 or 2 pairs of Mallard duck are now regularly visiting the ponds
in the mornings and evenings. But it started with these 4 pairs
back on 8 Feb 2005. The moorhen are not pleased and hang around
sulking.
.jpg)
Ref: 20050225_c740_052080021 8 mallard on main pond 2005feb08_07-55-34(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Mar 2012
at 16:47 Image of day on 13 Apr 2012
2 frames and 10 minutes apart this pair of mallard ducks (almost)
made a perfect pairing face to face. We often see them from a
distance like this, but one will always have triggered the camera
before the other arrive, so we don't get the joint photo
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20120413_d5c_20120310_1647_116+1658_118_fb2 mallard pair 10 minutes apart (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Mar 2021
at 17:44 Image of day on 19 Apr 2021
A Pair of Mallard Ducks at the hedge bottom - the female (left) quacking at her mate.
The males call is much softer than the females.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20210419_e63_20210330_1744_204_fb1 mallard pair at hedge bottom (adjusted crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
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