Interesting ducks at our local lakes

[Surehatch]

Wow, they are very gorgeous

 

[desertdarlene]

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Yeah, and, also, they get a visit from code enforcement who tells them their yards are too small for fowl so they release them. A few, I know, do fly away, but many are dropped off.

Here in San Diego, you have a 50 foot setback requirement from any residence and most homes don't have yards that big. A lot of people don't do their research before buying/adopting.

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Thanks!

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Fortunately, the only thing you can do on this lake is fish and you have speed/wake limits.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Those pictures are so great! Keep them coming, isn't it sad when people throw their animals away like that we had 4 ducks set out on the Mountain river we live above and the were about starved. We managed to get 3 but the 4th was killed by someone or something we saw it laying in the river. People just dump animals off and think they can fend for themselves when most can't.

 

[desertdarlene]

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That's pretty sad.

I saw this little one today. I don't know if it's a different breed of duck or a domestic call. It looks mallard-like but not quite. We've had calls on the lake, but they're often gone immediately and I usually only get to see them once or twice.

That's a full-grown coot and a full-grown drake with her. She seems perfectly happy and is fitting in with the other ducks. She was eating some duck food/cracked corn someone left.

Perhaps it's a female Northern Pintail? They're due this time of year. Or, maybe a different type of wild duck?

 

[KansasKid]

I'm not sure, i might be wrong but if its not a mallard, the bill reminds me of a gadwall hen.

 

[desertdarlene]

I was thinking gadwall, too, but she's pretty small and there was something else that was different from a gadwall that I can't remember. But, maybe she's a small gadwall.

 

[KansasKid]

what color is her speculum feathers?

 

[desertdarlene]

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You know, I don't think I saw them or I don't remember anything about them. I know they get white patches sometimes, but I didn't see them. Female mallards get blue patches, but I noticed that they tend to lose them (or they're less visible) during breeding season.

I also didn't get a look at her feet, or belly, either.

 

[KansasKid]

well it could be that right now she is molting so she might not have her blue/green/whatever color, speculum feathers. Mine hen mallards are molting at the moment.

do you have any other pictures?

 

[desertdarlene]

I had one other photo and it's about the same. I hope I will see her again, soon, perhaps out of the water. I've read that female gadwalls can be on the small side. She seems right at home like any of the other wild ducks.