FALL? color changes?

[L0rraine]

So everybody molted a few weeks ago and all had lovely new feathers but nobody changed much - but suddenly ...

my Blue mixed breed drake is turning reddish brown (and this picture doesn't BEGIN to do it justice). He's 4-5 months old now. I'm assuming that it has something to do with coming into breeding plumage because his dark blue head is getting brilliant emerald green spots (but they don't show up in the pictures yet). Do all blue drakes do this - is it something to do with questionable breeding, i.e., Saxony Runner/Blue Magpie mix - will it stay this color (or will we call him 'Rusty' only in the Fall?).

And - the yard is starting to look like someone's been pillow fighting again (does that go into the 'Things We Love About Ducks' list? And I'm detecting a neck ring developing on my Saxony Runner drake who has been looking rather drab the last several months - pics on another day when things are clearer.

AND ... I've been envying everyone's blue laced red ducks and little did I know I already had my very own TaDa! 'Miss Mary' with her new plumage. Can you tell this is my first full year? and experience with Fall changes - I'm in awe.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

my white birds turn brownish on the parts that go under water in the spring and fall, when the tannin levels in the pond are higher... (leaves in the water decompose, and the color sticks to my ducks and dyes them)...

 

[Wifezilla]

My runner has gotten lighter all the time. SHe is a fawn but is now almost all white. She is almost 2. The only other duck I have going through changes is my teenaged welsh harlequin drake. He looked like heck until a few dasy ago. Now he is getting his green head and his drake feather along with a lot of red on his chest.

Miss Mary is beautiful