Some are shy and I have a hard time, even using my zoom lens to capture them before they fly away.
I don't know what kind of ducks this mother duck and babies are, because I couldn't get close enough to see their markings. But the mom's head has fuzzy feathers.
If your screen is wide enough, you will see the mom in the next two shots...as I used landscape on the camera for a wider photo.
Look at this beautiful family of ducks:
She has seven babies...which is great..usually I only see them with five survivors:
This female mama mallard comes by our dock and bay almost every day:
She often brings her frisky babies with her and swims right up to the dock, begging for food.
Look at the drop of water dripping from her beak!:
Here is a closeup of one of her babies....this one still has the fuzzy, downy feathers on it!:
Look at the water droplets on his back...(they are pretty waterproof. Thus the saying: Like water running off a duck's back!):
This is the Mama Mallard again...she had an itch that just needed to be scratched.
Ahhhhh....a little to the right...............
On the lookout, protecting her babies:
One of her downy babies, splashing about by the dock:
"What?", she's saying. "Aren't you done taking my picture YET?"
Here is a closeup of one of her babies....this one still has the fuzzy, downy feathers on it!:
Look at the water droplets on his back...(they are pretty waterproof. Thus the saying: Like water running off a duck's back!):
This is the Mama Mallard again...she had an itch that just needed to be scratched.
Ahhhhh....a little to the right...............
On the lookout, protecting her babies:
(See her beautiful blue side feather?):
One of her downy babies, splashing about by the dock:
"What?", she's saying. "Aren't you done taking my picture YET?"
"The LEAST you can do is give me food for my work, then! Have YOU tried to take care of seven baby ducks on this huge lake? It's hard you know!:
We have a routine now, on the nice evenings.
We have dinner and go down and sit on the pontoon, overlooking the lake and take in the lovely summer breezes.
It isn't long before she spots us, and here they all come, swimming up fast and making little quacking noises for food.
Sometimes we bring bread crumbs down and reward them. Other times, I keep apologizing to them saying that we have none, and she gives me that LOOK (like the last photo). You know, the look that makes me feel reallllllll guilty for not bringing them food everytime.
But she forgives me, and comes back again and again.
They then swim in the grass right beside the dock and eat in there for 15 minutes and then swim away. At least we always have the "salad" bar there for them.
28 comments:
your pictures are amazing
I love ducks!
Thanks for sharing :-}
You have mergansers! We only usually see them in fall or spring.Here are the male and female, with ice still on the lake!
Whatever the first bird is, it really is pretty. The only ducks I know for sure are Mallards. I love seeing the babies, they are so cute!
Great photos.
My mom is retiring on the 31st, I should encourage her to take pictures like this.
Cheers
Barbara Doduk
The Love Blog
Your mystery duck looks like a Merganser. Nice duckie pics!!
That last photo of the duck is a winner for all of blogdom. You can't get a better expression from a duck than in that picture. That is so great you live next to water and not to cornfields. I guess our corn field is an alfalfa field this year. Thanks for sharing all of you waterfowl.
ScrappyDo: Thanks! I love ducks too (as you can see) :-P
Jenn: Loved your pictures of them on the icey waters...yes they are Mergansers...I forgot their name,but someone else told me that's what they were.
Catherine: they are mergansers...love those ducks and mallards too!
Barbara: You are new to my blog, right? Please join on as a Follower. That would be wonderful.
Yes, tell your mom to start doing photography for sure! I am obsessed with it and I just started last year and love it.
Sue: you are correct! I couldn't remember when I posted, but since then, several readers have confirmed it as a merganser. They are such neat ducks, aren't they?
L.D.: So glad you enjoyed the photos...I love taking any type of critter photos, be it ducks, partridge,deer, birds, frogs or turtles! And, as you know, I like to take flowers and woods too. Heck, if I lived near you, I might take them of cornfields too. I am finding beauty in everything ordinary since I got my new camera.
ha
A happy and very happy family.
Don't you just love the ducks with all their babies! Usually it seems they are quite elusive as mom is trying to keep them safe.
They're Mergansers alright but the other ducks aren't Mallards. She is a Black Duck. Google it and then click on Images. Mallards don't have the stripe through the face like that. Exciting, huh?!
Sharon
Really enjoyed the baby ducks...when enlarged the water drops show up even more!
The photos are so peaceful and harmonious!
Rainfield: yes, they seem to be!
New England: I will check it out about the duck...my hubby thinks she is a blue-winged teal..so now I will look them both up. ha
Wanda: I loved the water droplets on their feathers!
Lotusleaf: Thanks so much..I am so glad you like them.
You tell your hubby I'm sorry but he is incorrect ; )
New England: I went on www.allaboutbirds.org and put in black duck and that is not the one.
I looked up the teal duck, nope.
I looked up mallards and watched the video and it was definitely the mama duck on the rock with her babies, it was exactly the same blue side feather and head.
I love watching bird families like this. That last picture of the mother is great. Maybe that fuzzy hair is going to be the new style for ducks. Fuzzy Head is a fashion pioneer.
Please accept my apologies.
Sharon
You have taken some really nice pics! I can see by your posts that you are really enjoying your retirement. I am in the same profession as you were, and I can HARDLY wait to retire. Nursing has changed a lot from when I graduated years ago.
Too Good... Esp, you caught her scratching... :D
My Travelogue
Aw those ducks are so cute. Especially the baby ones.
Ratty: Naw, that was the 80's. The ducks just haven't caught up yet. ha
New England: No problem! I don't know my ducks at all...and I am just learning the birds. I love that university website because it gives pictures, sounds and videos of ducks and birds so you can help identify them.
Wendy: You will SOOOO love retirement, then. Yes, I agree, nursing has changed so much. I hate to say it, but I don't know if someone came to me now and asked me if nursing was a good career choice, if I would still support it.
It got very difficult toward the end and all the things I loved about it was not valued: like spending time with the patients to do some teaching, etc. Although it has been years since I did bedside nursing...I ended up in administration. Although I had the privilege of running an Assisted Living for 5 years toward the end of my career, which allowed me to go back to some teaching and caring for them again.
Mitr: I cracked up when I saw her do that and HAD to capture her scratching. Although, all I could think of is "Eeewwww, she has bugs!" ha
Loree: I luuuuuurve the babies!
When I was asked once what animal I would be if I had the option, I chose a duck.
why? because they walk, swim and fly.
True story.
what a cute episode. the ducks are so cute and I always love to see them out of water as the babies follow in a line behind mom.
Kearsie: You would be a cool duck!
Grannyann: I can watch them forever and not get bored..they are so cute as they splash around and follow their mother!
The little ones are just so cute, what an lovely family. Great photos.
SquirrelQueen: They are soooo sweet, aren't they?
Quack, quack, quack,
Great pics. I love the little bit of blue tucked on one's feathers!
Enjoy the weekend.
Joanna: I love the mallards and the mergansers too..almost any duck makes me smile.
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