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Birds - Ducks Page 12
Image Taken on 15 Apr 2008
at 12:04 Image of day on 02 May 2008
This pair of mallard have been feeding together in various ponds
for some days. After a couple of hours in the main pond they
pulled out onto the bank near the house for a drowse in the
sunshine.
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Ref: 20080502_db1_20080415_1204_057 mallard pair drowsing after feeding(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Mar 2020
at 08:52 Image of day on 08 Apr 2020
Mallard ducks appear a few times a day in the main pond for a feed and preen.
Away from the unnatural overcrowding and stress inducing public ponds,
you get none of the mass-attacks by heaps of males on any female that
appears.
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Ref: 20200408_d5c_20200317_0852_103 mallard pair in main pond iris bed(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Mar 2008
at 12:33 Image of day on 13 Apr 2008
At least two pairs of mallard visit the ponds and other areas.
This pair moved out of the back-garden pond into the violets as
we approached, thought about flying off (agitated bobbing etc.),
but calmed down and we took this as we left the area, and they
stayed for another hour or so.
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Ref: 20080413_da1_20080326_1233_049 mallard pair in violets(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Apr 2014
at 16:52 Image of day on 25 Jun 2014
A Mallard duck pair had been mating in the main pond This is what
you typically see of the female - the top of her head! At least
she only has the one male on top & not a fighting melee.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20140625_fj1_20140430_1652_012 mallard pair mating with female mostly submerged (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Mar 2006
at 12:19 Image of day on 18 Mar 2006
Mallard ducks are paired up for the Spring. This pair are sunning
themselves on the island of the main pond on top of a pile of
removed reed & lily stems.
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Ref: 20060318_p20_20060306_1219_346 mallard pair on dragon pond island(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 20 Mar 2018
at 16:55 Image of day on 28 Apr 2018
An hour before sunset we now expect to see this pair of mallard Ducks arriving
to gobble up the corn we threw in the pond earlier in the day.
.jpg)
Ref: 20180428_d5c_20180320_1655_036 mallard pair upending in main pond(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Jul 2014
at 10:27 Image of day on 22 Sep 2014
When the Moorhen dominated the ponds they would not tolerate duck visits.
But the new Moorhens are less 'established'. Moorhen parents and
2 chicks at the back and mother duck and 3 of her 7 (4 off to the
right) ducklings nearer the camera.
 ducklings (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20140922_d5c_20140716_1027_215 moorhen adult + 2 juveniles + mallard duck female and 3 (of 7) ducklings (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Apr 2023
at 09:29 Image of day on 31 May 2023
This Moorhen just won't tolerate birds on the banks of HIS pond!
Here he tackles two male Mallard Ducks.
We have also seen him attack 4 Rooks, but 9 Rooks was a challenge too far!
.jpg)
Ref: 20230531_bu8_20230421_0929_169 moorhen chases away 2 mallard duck males from grass by duck pond(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Jun 2021
at 14:38 Image of day on 26 Jun 2021
A little portrait of this scruffy and simultaneously beautiful ball of feathers
.jpg)
Ref: 20210626_d73_20210603_1438_046 moorhen chick portrait on duck-shaped pond(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Jun 2021
at 12:26 Image of day on 26 Jun 2021
Next day, forewarned into making a quiet approach, we see 2 again
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20210626_d73_20210603_1226_033 2 moorhen chicks on duck-shaped pond (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 02 Jun 2021
at 15:55 Image of day on 26 Jun 2021
For the first time in years the Moorhen web site has Moorhen once
again breeding on the ponds. Two very young Moorhen who don't
know that they should be hiding!
 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20210626_d73_20210602_1555_204 2 moorhen chicks on duck-shaped pond (first of 2021) (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Jun 2021
at 14:39 Image of day on 26 Jun 2021
Here we momentarily see 4 of these tiny chicks at once.
There is probably another hidden top right, but we are not sure.
By now the presumably new pair of adults have learned to guard their
youngsters better, and we can't get near without a warning call and
the whole lot vanishing into the foliage.
 moorhen chicks on duck-shaped pond (id only)(r+mb id@432).jpg)
Ref: 20210626_d73_20210603_1439_053 4 (of maybe 5) moorhen chicks on duck-shaped pond (id only)(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Apr 2023
at 17:20 Image of day on 31 May 2023
At this time there was no Moorhen nest visible at the Duck Pond, but this Moorhen
sure considers it 'his' and will see off anything short of a 'Parliament' of Rooks.
.jpg)
Ref: 20230531_bu8_20230417_1720_076 moorhen leaving duck pond to chase away mallard duck pair(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Mar 2022
at 14:02 Image of day on 24 Apr 2022
A pair of Mallard Duck swim quietly by the quietly browsing male Reeve's Muntjac Deer.
.jpg)
Ref: 20220424_bu5_20220322_1402_130_sc1 muntjac deer male on bank of round pond as mallard ducks swim by(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Apr 2022
at 17:23 Image of day on 15 May 2022
One of the female Reeves' Muntjac Deer ambles quietly along the edge of
Round Pond. The pair of Mallard Ducks watched unperturbed barely moving
their heads as the Deer turns away.
The Ducks are aware that the worst a small Deer is likely to do is accidentally step
on them. As usual the female duck is well camouflaged - she sits on the left
of the male blending almost perfectly with the muddy bank.
Birds are NOT bird-brained - think of the mental processes necessary to
differentiate this small Deer from a similarly sized Fox.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20220515_bu5_20220413_1723_368-371_sc1 muntjac reeves deer female walks edge of round pond past mallard duck pair on bank (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Apr 2015
at 15:34 Image of day on 03 Jun 2015
The rabbits have missed this Snake-head Fritillary!
The camera is near the ground looking up into the flower on the bank
of a pond.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20150603_p10_20150415_1534_400 snakes-head fritillary on bank of duck shaped pond (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Aug 2017
at 12:31 Image of day on 30 Sep 2017
3 Hours later over the Duck-shaped pond this male Southern Hawker Dragonfly was
hawking and hovering over the water. These 3 images are about 140mS apart
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20170930_df3_20170813_1231_100+104+108 southern hawker dragonfly male hovering over duck shaped pond 1+5+9 of 9 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 08 Dec 2021
at 14:22 Image of day on 14 Jan 2022
On the ground, perhaps trying to use the resident as a trampoline.
The shadow indicates that the landing bird has actually contacted the lower bird.
.jpg)
Ref: 20220114_e6a_20211208_1422_242_fb5 wood pigeon lands over another who ducks to avoid impact(r+mb id@768).jpg
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