Mallards...They're 'Just Ducky'

We've been waiting for wood ducks.  While we have heard them, and seen some circling overhead, we  haven't seen them swimming around in the swamp yet this year.  Hopefully, they are just being 'wiley' and will nest in the two boxes I cleaned and added fresh wood shavings to a month ago.

We do have a pair of mallards that I've been seeing regularly.  So, I decided to embrace the mallards and not worry about the wood ducks.  Even though mallards are common, there must be some interesting things I can learn about them!

Any kind of ducks can be difficult to photograph.  Besides the obvious reasons-- they are often at a distance, out on the water... AND moving.   There are other reasons as well.

Preening is one.

While it is fun to watch mallards preening, it does make for some weird-looking poses.

Ducks need to preen quite often, to maintain their waterproofing.  The preen gland they have near their tail provides the oil, which they rub with their bills all thru their feather.

 After preening comes nap time.  That doesn't make for very good photos either, so I'll include the Canada geese to the left and painted turtles to the right of our sleeping Mallards.

Another problem with photographing them is that one or the other of them usually has their head underwater.

 If it's not the hen, it's the drake.

Or-- one or the other has their tail in the air.

They act this way because they are busy eating things in the water.  One of the things I learned about Mallards is they are not fussy eaters.  I read that they eat aquatic insect larvae, earthworms, snails, and freshwater shrimp.  This is what I read, mind you.... I doubt they are eating shrimp in our beaver swamp!  During migration they eat agricultural seeds and grains; and in city parks they eat handouts from park-goers.

While ducks can be difficult to photograph, sometimes I get photographs of them and don't even know it until later.  I was so excited to see a great-blue heron on March 26th, that I didn't even notice the Mallards!

Of course, the hen has her head in the water!

Meanwhile, nap time is over and our drake gets back in the water and begins to swim away.

 Can you see him now?

The hen seems not to be in a hurry, which is nice because the drake was in front of her in the other photos.  She is more subdued in coloring than her mate, but she is beautiful, too.

When she does swim away, she is well camouflaged.

Although her bright mate can hide pretty well, too, when conditions are right.

Our mallards may be 'common' -- in fact, they are the most abundant and wide-ranging ducks in North America, but I'm glad this pair choose our swamp for their home.

I can't finish this post without sharing some of the other interesting things I read about them.

The familiar 'quack' we attribute to ducks?  That's the female mallard.  The males also make sounds but theirs is a deeper "mek" or "whak".  When you hear a female persistently quacking, it may mean she is choosing her nesting site.  (I heard ours doing this at 5:30 one morning... I hope she found a good spot!)  Also, did you know that she will pluck down from her own breast for nest lining?  Now, that's a good mother!  Also, she lays more than half her body weight in eggs!

Mallards are social when they are not nesting, gathering in large flocks called "sords".  That's a new word for me.  Migrating flocks have been clocked flying at 55 mph!

Next time I watch our mallards, I'll have a better appreciation for their species.  Although, what's not to love about any ducks?  After all, the word "ducky" has these meanings:
1.) darling, cute
2.) satisfactory, fine

I'd say our mallards fit both!