By: Rey Wells
I have chosen ducks for this posting because of a recent incident involving a pair of Mallards. But we will start in May of 2013 in Fairbanks, Alaska.
It was a frosty early morning in late May. While my travel mates slept in, I headed to Creamery Fields, a famous spot for migratory birds near Fairbanks. There was a skim of ice on small calm waters along the boardwalk. But the largest pond was mostly ice free. Here is a recently arrived Northern Shoveler that is showing some concern by my sudden appearance.
After breakfast the four of us headed for Chena Hot Springs. We were going for a hot soak and whatever else might be interesting there or along the way. We stopped at a turnout just beyond a bridge that spanned the swollen Chena River. While trying to steady myself on a huge flat boulder that sloped down toward the rushing water, I did my best to capture this Green-winged Teal on the far side.
At the end of the seventy mile road was Chena Hot Springs. I walked a path there and encountered a goose. It was quite upset by my presence. I thought it was a domestic of some kind. Too late, I figured out that it was a wild White-fronted Goose. I had not taken a photo. Soon after, I came upon a tiny pond that temporarily held this Ring-necked Duck. Ring-necks are common in Florida in winter. This one had likely wintered in California.
Two Aprils ago I was out birding one morning here in northern New York State. I came upon a roadside corn stubble field. There was a low area where snow melt and recent rains had created a shallow temporary pond. Here are two male Wood Ducks that were taking a break from feeding. Why two males and no females? It’s most likely that mating had already occurred. That’s usually the end of the breeding season for drakes. They become free agents and hang out by themselves or with other drakes. Male Mallards do the same thing.
In this last photograph, you will see a male and a female Mallard. The date was May 21st of this year. That date was weeks after most Mallard mating had taken place. But here they were as a courting couple. Why? It’s most likely that a predator, like a racoon, had consumed their eggs. There could have been as many as thirteen eggs. After losing a clutch like that, the pair gets back together for another try at a successful breeding season. The number of eggs resulting from a second mating are typically fewer than from the first.
So much for waterfowl. It’s time to go chase songbirds, especially warblers!