Mallard in Winter

by Penny Meyers

Title

Mallard in Winter

Artist

Penny Meyers

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

I watched this lone drake mallard for quite some time. He would ride the water down around that rock next to him and then turn around and tread water for a while, eventually making his way back up to where he is now. I guess an entertaining way to spend the first nice afternoon we've had in a very long time. Photo taken at Dunton Locks County Park. 
Per allaboutbirds.org, Mallards are large ducks with hefty bodies, rounded heads, and wide, flat bills. 
Male Mallards have a dark, iridescent-green head and bright yellow bill. The gray body is sandwiched between a brown breast and black rear. Females and juveniles are mottled brown with orange-and-brown bills. Both sexes have a white-bordered, blue �speculum� patch in the wing. 
Mallards are �dabbling ducks��they feed in the water by tipping forward and grazing on underwater plants. They almost never dive. They can be very tame ducks especially in city ponds, and often group together with other Mallards and other species of dabbling ducks. 
Mallards can live in almost any wetland habitat, natural or artificial. Look for them on lakes, ponds, marshes, rivers, and coastal habitats, as well as city and suburban parks and residential backyards.

Uploaded

January 14th, 2014

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