I’m on a campaign to change the description of female mallards from “hens” to “queens”. “Hen” has a dowdy air about it—like a broody chicken—and doesn’t fit the regal nature of a female duck. (I want to call the males “rapists” rather than “drakes”.)
But I digress. The number of ducks in Botany Pond is, as I hoped, waning, for I decided to stop feeding all the drakes and giving most of the food to Honey (I did toss a few tidbits to the other queens). Happily, this afternoon there were only two queens and two Weinsteins in the pond, and, as the photos below show, one of them is Honey. The other queen is her companion, and I gave her an ample lunch as well.
Here’s the right side of Honey’s bill (it was hard to focus) with its characteristic “dog-chasing-motorcycle” pattern along with three semi-vertical dots and the distal dark triangle.
Here’s Honey’s friend, whom I haven’t yet named. She has one big black dot behind the black markings on her bill. We’ll see if she stays.
The two drakes didn’t get food. I want them to leave so the Patriarchy at the pond will be dismantled. (Or should I call it the “drakearchy”?)
LOL.
Did you pick this up from a Titania McGrath tweet?
Jerry Coyne, mallard misandrist.
Or the rapiarchy?
Best laugh out loud of the day. Weinsteins! Love it!!!!
Jerry, the second queen has a very distinctive bill. Maybe if you look at the kids’ photos from last year, you might find that she is one of your previous guests?
Good point. I’ll look, but as I recall they didn’t have well-developed bill stippling then.
Thanks!
LOL! That is one of the very few times I have typed that.
What ‘woke-ish’ term would apply to their human caretaker? There are so few kind and positive terms in woke-ish.
A queen is a sexually intact female cat.
L
Yes, I know, but there’s no reason why it can’t be applied to an honorary cat. After all “cubs” are applied to bears, to big cats, and so on.
And a kit is a baby fox.
How about ‘seraglio’ instead of ‘drakearchy’? Would you consider naming Honey’s companion Katie Peck?
That’s good because “Katie Peck” last year was actually Honey!
I know! I remember that well!
Gee, I didn’t think you’d be able to get rid of those excess ducks that easily.
It’s not over yet. It was very cold today–just above freezing, and the others could return.
A decoy coyote might deter the others from returning.