My ducks

March 17, 2018 • 2:30 pm

I don’t think my new mallard hen is Honey, but she sure has a handsome boyfriend! I was afraid that my four-day absence would drive the ducks away, but, sure enough, they were in the shallow end of the pond this afternoon, waiting for their mealworms and corn (no, they won’t eat peas).  And they look as if they’re getting into better condition. I make sure to give the hen extra food as she may be incubating some eggs.

Here are the latest photos:

Isn’t he a handsome lad? His emerald-green head glistens in the sun.

And the adorable hen. I need names for both of them.

The happy couple. They seem to get along very well, sharing their food and not pecking each other:

I like this one, as it shows a vigorous shake:

49 thoughts on “My ducks”

  1. The ducks were quietly mumbling, “where’s Jerry and our damn corn? We’re hungry & we’re left here eating stuff found in a pond like regular duck schmucks”.

  4. They are absolutely gorgeous – which means excellent health (not to mention , it is THE season). Super photos….

      1. Is this pair approaching you more rapidly than last year’s ducks? If the hen isn’t Honey, is it likely that these ducks are still returners from last year? And they already knew you as a good source of noms?

        1. Yes, they came the first time I whistled (the male, I think, followed the female). But the only ducks I fed last year were Honey, her brood, and (before the deadbeat absconded) her husband.

  9. Duck couple names: George and Gracie.
    (If you get the reference, you’re as old as me.)

  15. Trying to think of names based on great singing duos. But I can’t think of any great singing duos.

  16. Those are beautiful ducks. In the summer we go to Kolob reservoir at least once a week and there are always ducks. I could watch them all day, they are so interesting . It is really something to see when they catch and devour crawdads. I don’t think she is Honey, but it’s hard to tell. Guess you would have to ask another duck.Thanks.

  17. How about Melanie and Melvin?

    In Latin, Greek and a bunch of other languages mel/meli/melissa all refer to ‘honey’ or ‘honeybee’.

    Could be a nice tribute to the duck Honey!

    1. In Greek a lot of the “mel” words been “black”. Melanie comes μελανία which means black. I know this because I am over educated, in reference to the previous post. In Latin “mel” means honey. This is why mixing ancient languages can be so wrong. Think of all the trouble with podiatry and paediatrics and so forth.

      2. I think that “meli” has a meaning “honey” also in Greek. There were some nymphs associated with ash-trees and honey production that were called Meliae.

  18. Chester and Daphne.
    Daphne:
    Famed for its intense rose-citrus perfume, Daphne odora flowers in winter and spring, filling the air with its delightful fragrance.
    Chester:
    From a surname which originally belonged to a person who came from Chester, an old Roman settlement in Britain. The name of the settlement came from Latin castrum “camp, fortress”.

  20. The male is extremely handsome. Beautiful coloring. Very streamlined, aerodynamic coloration. The green of the head is especially gorgeous, but the rest of the coloring highlights the head.

  22. I think the girl should be Marmite or Nutella or something similar because it looks like she’s been dipping her beak in it.

    I remain convinced that the hen is Honey’s daughter, so I’d like her to have a similar name.

    The drake is gorgeous! I can’t think of a good name for him. Maybe George, the most handsome Beatle, or Ringo, because it’s a more ducky name. And you like the Beatles and ducks eat insects.

  23. I’ve been comparing the pics of Honey and this hen and I’m not convinced they’re two different ducks. The bill markings seem to me to be similar. Coloration and markings change with wear and tear, time and age.

    Any ornithologist out there care to pipe in?

  27. Honey II and Dewey – the latter already a duck name. Corny, sure, but that’s what you feed them…

  29. Daffy & Daisy.

    If by chance Jerry happened to hang on to any feathers last year from Honey as keepsakes it would be possible (but a bit pricey) to compare DNA from honey and the female from this year. I have a colleague who has developed a method to get DNA from feathers and then get genomic level (SNP or single nucleotide polymorphism) data from the feathers.

Comments are closed.