new feathers

In November, Mallards paddle on the pond before they migrate to warmer places. The male Mallards molt their feathers in the autumn and regrow their green head feathers; in the following spring brilliant colors will help each male find a mate for the next breeding season.

duck house

We put up a nesting box for ducks last Spring, especially Hooded Mergansers. 

It was too late for nesting season, but I read that sometimes they scout out in the autumn a place to nest next Spring. 

We hope this female is scouting!

ducklings napping

 

ducklings, Mallard 2023

 This clutch of Mallard ducklings came to the pond a few days ago, led by their mother.

pair of blue winged teal

Blue-winged Teal Spatula discors have a bold powder-blue patch on their upperwing coverts, only seen in flight or when they are preening.  

They are 'dabblers' - - dipping into water to find aquatic insects and water plants to eat. When on land they eat vegetation and grains. 
 

northern shovelers in Spring

Northern Shovelers visited the pond today.  They eat tiny crustaceans, other aquatic invertebrates, and seeds in and around the pond.  To filter food out of the water, they have comb-like projections (called lamellae) along the edge of their bills.  Lamellae are slightly pliable.  They help many ducks, gooses, and other birds eat by filtering edible items from mud or water.

hooded mergansers in Spring

We have three types of Mergansers in North America.  The smallest of the group is the Hooded Merganser.  These are diving ducks; their long bills are slender with serrated edges, formed like teeth for grasping and holding their prey.  They dive in lakes or ponds, staying under water up to two minutes, while hunting for small fish, crustaceans, amphibians, or roots.

blue-wing teal in Spring

The wetland around the pond is a stopping place where ducks in migration can rest and get a meal.  

A pair of Blue-winged Teal stopped today.

mallards arriving

Even though Spring is here and the birds have been moving to their nesting areas in Minnesota, the ice  is thick on the middle of ponds.  The Mallard pair is finding food in the open water near the shore.  They act like ice-breakers with their beaks and legs to get to the plant material beneath the water. 

turtle chases ducks off favorite rock

Mallard was sunning her ducklings on the favorite rock in the pond. Turtle appeared a few feet away, nosing his way toward the rock, also his favorite. When turtle got to the rock, ducklings jumped off. 

merganser with 4 young

 

mallard families

Female Mallard came out of the grasses with her 3 young ducks (upper right).  Then, another Mallard appeared with her 8 younger ducklings. They were all intent on eating duckweed and other aquatic plants growing in the pond.

blue-winged teal

Blue-winged Teal ducks have been on the pond for a week or so. Last year, this species stayed only a few days to rest on migration. This season, they seem to find enough food here to stay longer. The hen makes a nest on the ground where she finds grassy cover to hide her eggs from predators. I admired the male's feathers, especially the white chevron on the back of his head.

dabblers and divers

The pond area is bustling with birds arriving! Several species of ducks have stopped for a meal or a day of rest on migration.  I marvel at how they tolerate one another in this small spot of respite. Occasionally we hear honking or see disputes, but mostly the creatures get along.  

Animals have adapted their method to feed in different ways.  For instance, we saw Mallards feeding near Hooded Mergansers. Mallards and Blue-winged Teal are ‘dabblers' – they dip their beak and head into the water to munch on shallow-water plants. Mergansers are ‘divers' – they dive totally under the water to eat plants growing in deep water.  

ducks on log

Hooded Mergansers Lophodytes cucullatus appear prominently on the pond when the weather is nice (you can not miss their dazzling appearance and active diving), and they disappear from view when it is not nice. This year, April has been colder than normal, rainy, and with mostly gray skies.

Waterfowl like these are here on their nesting ground. They can find shelter from bad weather in the weeds and reeds around the pond.  This Hooded Merganser pair can find plenty to eat here . . .  small frogs, tadpoles, insects, seeds, and even the roots or bulbs of water plants.  When they're satisfied, the pond offers several exposed rocks, logs, and shallow bars for critters to use as loafing sites. 

Next up -- finding a nesting site.

'homing' Mallards

Mallards can stay through winter in Minnesota if they can find food near open water. Now that the solid shore-to-shore ice on the pond is melting, a pair showed up here. This is probably the same pair that nested near the pond last year, since Mallards are known to 'home' where they have nested previously.

Even though a fractured layer of ice floats nearby, these ducks find food beneath the water. This might be what is known as a 'cold lunch'.

muskrats chasing ducks

As the Mallards swim around the pond, feeding on plants growing at the edge, the muskrats chase the ducks.  The water mammals don't want to share with the birds. Muskrats' burrow or tunnel system is nearby, with an underwater entrance.

mallard twins and lone goose

In June, a Mallard mama brought her 6 newly-hatched ducklings to the water (see 6/27/2021).  A few weeks went by, and only 2 ducklings remained with the adult. We watched as they became more independent each day, no longer swimming so close to her.  Eventually, the mama would leave them to feed alone since they knew to hide among the grasses. She would hide herself from predators because she was molting. So we only saw her every few days with them. We called the two ducklings the 'twins'.

(pix above: twins in July with Mallard mama)

One day in August, a Canada Goose appeared on the pond. It glided on the water, showing off its newly molted feathers. But it stayed here day after day, feeding with and hanging close to the twins. All of them seemed to be comfortable with each others' company. All seemed healthy and happy on the quiet pond with plenty to eat, overhanging grasses and reeds to hide in, and rocks to sit on for sunny naps. They dabbled for food in the water together. Even the mama mallard seemed okay with the goose.

We puzzled why the goose was here. According to research, Canada Geese mate for life. If one loses a mate, it may stay alone. A lone female may help other families herd and raise their young.  I like to think this was a female goose who lost her mate; maybe she wanted to help the mallard ducklings since their mama was vulnerable to predators while growing new feathers. She stayed until the twins grew their wing feathers and muscles strong enough to fly out from the pond.  She disappeared from pond a day after the mallards departed, at the end of August.

(pix below: twins in August with lone goose)

convivial ducks

This summer has been very scant on rainfall so far.  The pond water level is currently low, and there is plenty of algae floating.  But the rocks are always good places for sharing the sunshine.  Female Mallard and Hooded Merganser have raised their young broods here, and shared the big rock today.

new Mallards, second clutch

Mallard female has been hiding her second clutch of eggs near the pond among grasses.  Today she led all 6 hatched ducklings to the pond, where they paddled around and started to feed.  They can eat seeds, stems, and roots of many different plants; also aquatic invertebrates such as worms, beetles, dragonflies, or insect larvae.