Resting drake mallard

As we passed a distant, sleeping mallard I stopped and pointed my camera at it and saw its eye open. Even though the rear of the bird was pointing directly at us, with its head tucked under its wing, it could still bring an eye to bear on us to decide if we were a threat or not. The mallard was resting in shallow water at the pool's edge, on a single leg, with its feathers insulating it from the morning breeze. We must have been sufficiently distant for it to feel safe because when I looked again, using my camera as a telescope, its eye was closed once more.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P950

An approachable drake goosander

I recently posted a piece about how female goosanders are overcoming their reticence and are swimming nearer to people, joining the mallards being fed by people on the River Wye in Ross. A few days ago I noticed that a solitary male goosander was also overcoming its caution and doing the same. It's interesting to speculate on why a predominantly fish-eating bird should eat seeds and bread, and overcome its natural reserve and spend time much closer to people.

 I've usually found it difficult to get a photograph of a male goosander  - the best I'd done thus far was this example. The newly obliging drake enabled a couple of much better images.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Mallards

Most of the domestic ducks that are farmed today are descended from the wild mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Presumably the mallard was chosen for domestication because many of the wild population tolerate the close proximity of humans, unlike other ducks. Being of the same species enables domestic ducks and mallards to interbreed and produce progeny of varying colours. This pair exhibit the colours of wild mallard but permitted a quite close approach.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Mallard on the roof

When the breeding season begins in our part of Herefordshire the local mallards and Canada geese start to do something that they don't do at any other time of year: something that I have never come across prior to living here. They land on the ridges of the houses and stand there surveying the area round about. Why do they do it? Perhaps they are displaying themselves as "available". Maybe they are advertising their claim to the area. Whatever the reason, it looks most odd. A quick flip through Google images shows that it is not uncommon, but is unusual enough for people to photograph the phenomenon.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Preening drake Mandarin

On a late April walk round Cannop Ponds in the Forest of Dean we came across a reduced number of mandarin ducks. This is probably accounted for by the fact that in April and May the ducks are nesting in cavities in trees in the area around the water. Of the remaining ducks all but one were males, and most of these were spending their time preening on branches overhanging the ponds. The biological imperatives that govern behaviour seemed to be at work here - the females doing the important stuff and the males making themselves look the best they can!

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Gadwall drake

The gadwall (Mareca streptera) is a subtly coloured, reasonably common duck. It can be easily picked out among other surface feeding ducks of similar size by the grey/brown/black/white combination of colours and particularly by the white speculum. It is first recorded by a similar name (gaddel) by Merrett in 1667. This is thought to be onomatopoeic, referring to its incessant chattering. Old regional names for the gadwall include the insulting ("bastard" - Sussex), the unimaginative ("grey duck" - The Fens) and the lazy ("sand wigeon" - Essex). This drake gadwall was standing in the shallows of The Serpentine in Hyde Park, London.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Another mandarin

As recent posts show I've been photographing some wildlife lately in the Forest of Dean. Ducks aren't usually associated with forests, but perching ducks like the mandarin build their nests in trees and frequent woodland ponds. Today's photograph is the third I've posted featuring a drake mandarin duck, and it's of an individual that let me get a little closer than usual so its spectacular colours dominate the shot.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Mandarin ducks and camouflage

As is typical with the majority of ducks, the male mandarin duck is brightly coloured and the female is relatively drab. In terms of camouflage the male stands out boldly against most backgrounds, and the female tends to blend in. Bright male colouring is thought to be connected to attracting a mate and drabness in the female an aid to camouflage when nesting. I knew this theoretically but it took this photograph, particularly the female surrounded by branches, bank and water, to bring home to me the extent to which this is so.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Drake mandarin duck

On a stagnant, slime-infested pool, home to a single moorhen, a coot and a few passing mallards, we saw a remarkable sight - a drake mandarin duck slowly making its way through the scum on the surface of the water. The contrast between the opulent beauty of the bird and its surroundings could not have been greater. Its striking plumage of glossy purple, burnt orange, white and cream, black and iridescent green and blue seemed to deserve a backdrop of crystal clear water that reflected the sky and clouds above rather than this malignant mess. But it sailed on, seemingly happy in its chosen place, managing, despite the circumstances, to remain scrupulously clean. Until, that is, we got too close and it took to the air, perhaps heading for pastures (or waters) new.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900