Honey is still here, along with Dorothy and her six babies—as well as a buttload of other ducks that I try to feed just enough to keep them away from the ducks we really want to feed.
We’ve learned to recognize some of the more unusual mallards. I mentioned Salvador the other day—a mallard drake with a Dali-esque moustachio. I’ve never seen a drake with black markings like these beside his bill, and they’re symmetrical. So here are some photos of this picturesque drake. (Another feature is that he has an image of a drake on his bill, as a reader pointed out.)
Right side:
Left side. Note that the mustache is symmetrical:
Front view:
Front view showing miraculous image of himself on his bill:
Another front view:
And here’s a 3.7-minute video of a drake preening himself. I find it strangely soothing, and it also shows you how meticulous they are. Part of grooming involves loading up their beak with oil from a gland at the base of their tail, which they then spread over all their feathers to waterproof them.
Salvador is certainly an unusual drake! His namesake famously had an ocelot, Babou, as a pet: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvador_Dalí#/media/File%3ASalvador_Dali_NYWTS.jpg
This is such a fun and lovely post. Salvador is a most handsome fella! Thanks, PCC(E)!
Well I like Salvador, even if he doesn’t draw as many comments as Honey.