Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Water Fowl, February 17-18, 2015

ABC Wednesday, Wild Bird Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, and Water World Wednesday

ABC Wednesday
F is for feathers.
There are two basic types of feathers. Down Feathers are underneath the outer Vaned Feathers.  Feathers insulate birds from water and cold temperatures.  Wing and tail feathers control flight.  Down feathers may be plucked by female birds to line their nests.
Last Saturday was so sunny and mild, this Muscovy Duck (semi-tame) decided it was a good day for a bath.
I watched it for about five minutes as it splashed and preened.

Afterwards it came on shore to dry its feathers.  You will notice there are a lot of down feathers on the ground.
Wild Bird Wednesday
Mallard, the most common duck in the world.
Hen and Drake

Mallard ducks can be found in ponds, lakes, and marshes across the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.  One source I consulted informed me that Mallards are considered to be an invasive species in New Zealand because they breed with the native New Zealand ducks.

The male is more colorful than the female, but she is very pretty with each brown feather tipped in light tan.

Mallard ducks eat a variety of water plants, worms, snails, and insects.  The female lays 8-10 pale green eggs in a nest made of grass and downy feathers hidden in marsh grass or a brush pile near the shore.  When three or four months old, the young ducks' wings are developed enough for them to begin flying.

Outdoor Wednesday and Water World Wednesday
February 14, 2015, Tupelo, Mississippi, USA

The white bark of the Sycamore tree makes a nice contrast to the evergreen Pine trees behind it.  Hopefully, by mid-March the Sycamore and other deciduous trees will begin to leaf out again.

Have a beautiful day!

For more F photos, visit ABC Wednesday:  Click Here!

For more wild bird photos, visit Stewart for Wild Bird Wednesday: Click Here!

For more outdoor photos, visit Outdoor Wednesday:  Click Here!

For more photos of water, visit Water World Wednesday:  Click Here!



NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.

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26 comments:

  1. HildredFebruary 17, 2015 at 9:51 PM

    Love to watch ducks bathing, - beautiful feathers...

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  2. Margaret Birding For PleasureFebruary 17, 2015 at 11:49 PM

    Beautiful duck shots and reflections.

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  3. mickFebruary 17, 2015 at 11:52 PM

    That last photo with the trees, water, and reflections is really beautiful. Great photos of the ducks. Mallards have a bad habit of interbreeding with the native Pacific Black Duck here in Australia also. Unfortunately the mallard genes are dominant.

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  4. Reader WilFebruary 18, 2015 at 1:02 AM

    I didn't know these facts about feathers! Very interesting! We have a lot of mallards too. Thanks for this post.
    Have a great week.
    Wil, ABCW Team.

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  5. lina@happy familyFebruary 18, 2015 at 2:17 AM

    Awesome series! Love them all.

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  6. CarlettaFebruary 18, 2015 at 2:45 AM

    I have always had a fondness for the Mallards. They sometimes get overlooked. These are wonderful shots of the Muscovy!

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  7. eileeninmdFebruary 18, 2015 at 3:19 AM

    Great post on the ducks.. I love the Muscovy ducks, they are neat. Wonderful photos, have a happy day!

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  8. GattinaFebruary 18, 2015 at 4:45 AM

    Beautiful photos of the ducks !
    Gattina
    ABC Team

    http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.com/

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  9. Gemma WisemanFebruary 18, 2015 at 4:52 AM

    The activities of ducks fascinate me. Beautiful reflections in the water in the last photo.

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  10. Linda KayFebruary 18, 2015 at 8:45 AM

    The ducks are quite lovely, but the heads on the Muscovy ducks are pretty weird. Love the reflections in the last picture.

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  11. UnknownFebruary 18, 2015 at 10:50 AM

    Very nice captures!

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  12. JarekFebruary 18, 2015 at 11:56 AM

    Nice shots :-)

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  13. fredamansFebruary 18, 2015 at 12:06 PM

    That Muscovy duck is a weird looking duck... lol

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  14. Roger Owen GreenFebruary 18, 2015 at 1:04 PM

    thanks for the FEATHER lesson!

    ROG, ABCW

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  15. betty-NZFebruary 18, 2015 at 4:46 PM

    Great photos. I haven't heard that about the New Zealand ducks, but this is a strange place as lots of things grow much faster here (pine) and common flowers become pests (morning glories), so I'm not surprised.

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  16. Powell River BooksFebruary 18, 2015 at 5:48 PM

    The Muscovy Duck has such an interesting head. - Maryg

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  17. PatFebruary 18, 2015 at 6:10 PM

    Beautiful shots.

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  18. LoisFebruary 18, 2015 at 7:02 PM

    I love any kind of duck. They are so interesting to watch. Beautiful photos!

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  19. doodles n daydreamsFebruary 18, 2015 at 8:02 PM

    I loved all your duck shots, they're interesting birds to watch.

    Diana

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  20. MeenalSonalFebruary 18, 2015 at 11:59 PM

    Lovely birdies enjoying !

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  21. EG CameraGirlFebruary 19, 2015 at 8:24 AM

    Love your shots of the ducks! They are such fascinating birds.

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  22. A Colorful WorldFebruary 19, 2015 at 10:46 AM

    Nice F post! And great bird shots!

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  23. AnonymousFebruary 19, 2015 at 10:58 AM

    Gorgeous shots! Looks sunny too.

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  24. Kim, USAFebruary 19, 2015 at 1:41 PM

    Gorgeous and so love the colors.

    Thank you for joining Water World Wednesday
    Kim,USA

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  25. Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪February 19, 2015 at 5:47 PM

    mum used to raise this two kinds of ducks, and I was the feeder.

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  26. HeatherFebruary 25, 2015 at 10:19 PM

    Beautiful photos! I did not know mallards were so universal.

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