Please allow me to show you pictures of my children, which this year comprise a pair of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and a pair of wood ducks (Aix sponsa). The latter don’t seem to be breeding here as they’re on the pond most of the day, and because female wood ducks nest in tree holes, and we ain’t got any.
The female mallard, named Vashti, is nesting nearby, but I’m keeping her nest location as secret as I can as I don’t want people disturbing her while she’s incubating her clutch of seven eggs. I expect a hatch about April 19 or so. The male mallard, named Armon, patiently awaits Vashti, who comes down to the pond once a day to have a big feed and a bath and preening session. Those sessions last about 15 minutes, but Armon, a lovesick drake, patiently patrols the pond for about 23 hours and 45 minutes per day.
The wood ducks are absent in the mornings but then are at the pond most of the rest of the day, which tells me that the wood duck hen is not sitting on eggs.
But have a look at these gorgeous wood ducks: feathered jewels. I’ve added a few photos of our resident turtles, red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans). Of the five we put in last fall, I’ve seen two or three. The other turtles must have either died during hibernation or simply walked away from the pond.
Below: the wood duck pair, whom I haven’t named as no names suggested have seemed appropriate. This is an example of extreme sexual dimorphism, as you can clearly see. Why females chose males with those patterns, colors, and a crest is something we don’t understand. But it’s clearly another example of sexual selection in birds, something that ultimately devolves to the difference between the sexes in gamete size and investment. (Yes, there are two sexes in all of these animals.)
Do click on the photos to enlarge them.
The male. I can’t get enough of seeing him and marveling at his beauty. The only other wild duck to rival this phenotypic glory is that of the male mandarin duck (Aix galericulata), a species found in East Asia. Wood ducks, however, are natives here.
He has satanic red eyes, but really is very gentle (also quick and much smaller than a mallard):
Here’s a video of the male and female wood duck having their lunch at Botany Pond:
Wood ducks seem quite romantic to me. They are always very close to each other and sometimes the male nuzzles the female.
I need names! The hen:
They are quite plump, as I ensure that they never go hungry.
Armon doesn’t really like the wood ducks, but somehow knows to chase them halfheartedly, as you see him chasing the male wood duck here. When an undocumented drake flew into the pond last Saturday, and began chasing Vashti off her nest (he was clearly eager to copulate), Armon went after him big time. With the help of Armon, a lot of running and yelling, and my trusty Super Soaker, I finally managed to expel the intruder. Here Armon goes after the male wood duck, who is much faster and more agile.
This is my favorite picture of the pair. They both have their heads cocked, probably looking at something above like a hawk. Ducks have eyes on the sides of their heads, and so must cock them if they want to see above. It’s very cute when they do that, and rare to see a pair do it simultaneously:
The hen has iridescent feathers, too, but they’re less conspicuous and usually covered by the wings. They are probably byproducts of the colors that are exaggerated in males. You can see some of them below:
Have another picture of my boy:
The male woodie standing on one leg, doing his flamingo impression. (Ducks do this to conserve heat, and this was a chilly day.)
As I said, Vashti is incubating her eggs, but she comes down to the pond for about 15 minutes per day for a nosh and a bath. Here’s part of her preening session, which is quite vigorous. Shortly thereafter she flew off to her nest. Note that Armon stays nearby, as he gets only a few minutes per day with his mate and lady love.
And we mustn’t forget the turtles! On warm days they come out of the water to soak up sun on the rocks, extending their limbs to get as much heat as possible. We call this “turtle yoga.”
The long claws tell us that the one below is a male (they use the claws in courtship):
Thanks, Jerry. The dogs and I enjoy seeing the flock on our walks past the pond. We haven’t yet seen the turtles – maybe soon.
The turtles will appear on sunny and warm days.
Love the Wood Duck photos. I rarely see them out in the open like this as our local ones seem to stay hidden in the undergrowth near the river bank.
Is there any chance the facilities people might consider mounting a Wood Duck nesting box near Botany Pond?
I doubt it. I would like that, and would think that having another brood in the pond wouldn’t be bad since time-displaced broods tend not to cause trouble, but Facilities is very conservative and tend to discount what I say about the ducks.
I was going to say the same thing. Tree holes are scarce in an urban area and I bet the ducks would be delighted to find a nesting site so close to a steady food source.
Wowww .. beautiful!
These are really great photos and videos. Thanks. Hope I live long enough to see the denuded pond fill out to be a real botanical pond…like it was. I know something had to be done given the condition of the original, but sheesh!
I do enjoy stealing a few minutes of duck and people watching at any hours on the reinvigorated live duck cam!
Ms. Daisy Fir
Mr. Douglas Fir
“an undocumented drake” lol. I guess that means that Vashti and Armon are legal immigrants. (Of course, one or both of them could have birthright citizenship, if they were hatched at the pond).
So you have turtles and ducks. What about frogs? If the pond wasn’t in an urban setting, frogs would probably have already migrated to the pond on their own. But has anyone considered introducing them? Not bullfrogs, of course, since they eat ducklings :(. But other kinds of native frogs could perhaps enhance the pond. It’s a pleasure to hear the croaking of frogs, and it’s entertaining and educational (for kids and adults both) to see their eggs hatch into tadpoles and morph into adults.
I’ve never seen frogs in the pond, and I’m not sure why. I doubt that facilities would ever introduce them, though I haven’t discussed the matter.
Down with a touch of the man-flu, and this brightened my day. The male wood duck is beautiful.
Very nice pictures. No. One cannot forget the turtles. They need love, too!
My candidate for names is Fred and Ginger, after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, because the two ducks dance so well together. But alas, I proposed those names earlier and they were (seemingly) deemed not to be good enough. Maybe as time runs out for names, Fred and Ginger will move up in rank.
Perhaps Fred and Ginger aren’t exotic enough for such exotically colored birds. Here are some other famous dance pairs for your consideration: https://www.lovetoknow.com/life/lifestyle/10-most-memorable-dance-partnerships
The problem is that “Fred” is too pedestrian a name for the glorious male.
Yes. Too bad it reminds me of Fred Flintstone. 🙂
Here are a couple of bedazzled men who could be namesakes; Elvis (and Priscilla) or Napoleon (and Josephine)
Always like the duck photos! 🦆🦆🦆
Gorgeous creatures, all!
My suggestion for names is Khosrow and Shirin. Their romance was often depicted in Persian miniatures, which are lovely and colorful, much like the drake’s splendid plumage.
AI says:
“In that story, Khosrow first falls in love with Shirin after hearing about her beauty—and in one famous scene, he secretly sees her bathing in a pool, which deepens his love instantly. That bathing scene is one of the most iconic moments in Persian literature and art.”
Yes—and perhaps this is how ducks fall in love too.
harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) on the Oregon coast are also quite colorful.