Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The Secret Lives of Ducks

Head-bobbing is a delightful nuptial display to witness. Two Blue-winged Teals are pictured below, the female on the left with her neck contracted, the male on the right with his neck stretched, alternating these movements in perfect rhythm. (Click images to enlarge).An instant later, the male stepped onto the female's back and she disappeared. It doesn't take a rocket-scientist to figure out what's happening here. "She's going to drown!" I heard myself say. Then came the quiet response from local naturalist, Charlie Corbeil, "Maybe she can hold her breath." Hummm. "Maybe...." I had to laugh at myself. The whole sequence spanned less than 60 seconds and was followed by the female's energetic bathing, wing-flapping and preening.Thus began my not-so-subtle introduction to the secret lives of ducks, one of several close-up encounters at Viera Wetlands with Charlie Corbeil, Master Naturalist and photographer. Then followed my field workshop with the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival two days later. Other than general recognition, I knew zero about ducks prior to my experiences in Brevard County, making it a special treat to view them along side experts.

Here we are, below, in the Space Coast Festival's field workshop, the "Secret Life of Ducks", on Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, ready to see some ducks.
And below is what we found--thousands of ducks along with an enormous collection of foraging wading birds (only partially represented in the photo), among them, an Eurasian Wigeon, Roseate Spoonbills, and my first look at American Avocets.
Our patient and knowledgeable instructors on this field adventure are pictured below, Bruce Anderson, front scope, and Murray Gardler, just behind and slightly forward, both delightful in their leadership, their enthusiasm and their patience.
Seeing a duck through a scope is not always easy. They move. And sometimes they disappear before you have a chance to spot them. And when they're resting and preening they are often in groups, meaning you have to sort through ducks to find the field marks for the one you're searching for. But what a triumph when you succeed. Not only is the 'whole world' waiting, but they celebrate with you--you, your duck-spotting buddies and two genuinely enthusiastic instructors, all of which made for a warm and gratifying experience.
Blue-winged Teal sketch in progress

I learned tons of interesting facts about ducks, too many to absorb all at once. But I will share one duck life secret with you. Have you ever considered how all those ducklings in a brood happen to hatch out at the same time so they can swim along with mom? The female lays her eggs over a period of days, but she doesn't begin incubation until every egg is laid. Hatch timing is determined by the number of days incubated rather than the date the egg is laid. Smart ducks!The top series of images were taken at the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands in Brevard County, Florida, with guide, photographer and Master Naturalist, Charlie Corbeil. Click the link and visit Charlie's beautiful photography.
Also visit the website of Master Naturalist, and photographer, Vince Lamb. Vince and Charlie were two of my guides while visiting Brevard County's beautiful places and wildlife during my January visit.
Visit Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival and mark the 2011 dates on your calendar.
And David McCree's festival reports at Blog the Beach will give you interesting information about the 2010 festival activities.
Also visit Space Coast Eco for informative descriptions of key natural areas and field trips for your visit to Brevard County. These excellent field trip posts are created by my Brevard County hostess, Marge Bell. You will also want to visit Space Coast Beach Buzz and FloridaBeachBasics for more visitor and wildlife information.
To view all my posts about Brevard County's Space Coast Birds and the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, click here.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #78, at Birdfreak.com to celebrate the conservation of our world's birds.

11 comments:

  1. I love driving around the to the slews in spring to watch the ducks. I have heard that some males get a wee bit aggressive and sometimes drown their mates. Glad I am not a duck.

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  2. Too funny! Great capture, though.

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  3. Great post--we may have crossed paths; I also took the duck tour at the Space Coast festival. I used to see Mallards doing that head-bobbing/mating thing; I didn't know other ducks did this too--and that they were starting to mate already!

    Can't wait to see how your teal painting turns out!

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  4. WOW! Some stunning pics, and I just love head-bobbing! Great sketch also Vickie and a lovely post!

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  5. A couple weeks ago I watched a Mallard pair display this same behavior. They were facing each other pumping their heads. I got distracted for a few seconds and when I looked back he was on top of her, holding her neck in his bill. She was submerged briefly and then it was over. They engaged in the ritual bathing and swam off in opposite directions.

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  6. Great series Vicki, learned a lot and enjoyed the visit, always a gift from your heart for others who come for a while~

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  7. Super series of the Blue-winged Teal Vickie! I always like to see the standing wing beating display after the nuptials. You caught the female perfectly.

    It sounds like an awesome workshop. I bet you had a blast with all those waterfowl around.

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  8. ...cool post. This looks like a fantastic birding festival. Maybe next year.... Can't wait to see the finished paintings.

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  9. Bautiful drawings and wonderful photos! The festival must have been a great experience. Loved the shots with all the ducks and birds.

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  10. Great post Vickie..whenever i see that facebook image of you i smile.birdie head.

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