Well, it’s been very busy around the pond, lately. I’m playing catch up and I’ll no doubt forget a few things. For one thing, the avian highway has become more cluttered than ever. We’ve had almost daily mallard and wood duck visitors. We’re hoping for a few more hooded mergansers such as the ones that came by a week ago. The first to visit our little pondarama. Yesterday morning brought us three mallards–two males and a female. They puttered around the edge of the pond, feeding on submerged vegetation. This is a process that involves submergence of their head and, as a result, pointing their posterior directly heavenward (a process, according to the gurus of duckdom, known as “dabbling”.) Not the best table manners, but such is the price of nourishment. At least in the mallardly world. Three wood ducks came by in the afternoon and spent several hours diving for snacks. Unlike the more humble mallard, wood ducks are much more delicate in quest of their food. They pop out of sight as they submerge and pop up again 10 to 20 feet from where they first submerged. Thus wood ducks, hooded mergansers and their ilk have the good taste to dive for their food. Especially their ilk. No narcissists, they.
Four tom turkeys wandered through the yard in early afternoon. They may have gotten word of the absolutely shameful turkey bacchanalia that took place here a week ago. Probably angling to get in on the action. Too late. All of the hens are now walking around with big smiles on their faces–beaks–bills. Whatever.
Providing a little contrast to all of the bird action, four deer wandered through the yard at around sunset. They still wear their drab winter coats. Winter lingers on.
Today was warm enough to permit us to hang out on the porch and watch the critter action. Three mallards, two males and a female, visited in the morning. Don’t know what’s going on with all of these “threesomes”, but they’re mature ducks and who am I to judge?
Three more wood ducks arrived in mid-afternoon and spent the rest of the day diving in various areas around the pond, circumnavigating the island several times in the process. The male goose had taken some time off for a snooze and was floating around with his head tucked under his wing. They circled him several times, waking him, no doubt darkening his mood.
We have recently bought a wood duck house, planning to place it somewhere on the property in hopes of attracting a family of the little guys. In the process of boning up on wood ducks and their habits I’ve found that the female lays 12 to 14 eggs over the course of 10 or so days. 12 to 14! We think postpartum pain is a dilemma in the case of the human critter. I’ll venture that after the first brood, a female duck develops a permanent headache.
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There is no question that these guys were diving. They would pop out of sight in one spot and about a half minute later pop up someplace else. They were very small. They swam between the island and the porch several times. Maybe we were so sure that they were wood ducks we didn’t look close enough. I’ll google diving ducks.
There is no question that these guys were diving. They would pop out of sight in one spot and about a half minute later pop up someplace else. They were very small. They swam between the island and the porch several times. Maybe we were so sure that they were wood ducks we didn’t look close enough. I’ll google diving ducks.
Hmmm….you seem to have some unusual Wood Ducks visiting your pond. Wood Ducks generally fall into the category of”dabbling” ducks. The fact that yours are diving and staying down for a period of time is odd. You might want to get out the binoculars and get a real good look at these guys.