Female Mallard

[Ilah]

Not the most exciting duck in the world but I liked the reflection. From our trip to Acadia NP last weekend. C&C welcomed

http://www.hali.org/CanonStuff/2006_07_16_FemaleMallard.jpg

[Lavarama]

Nice shot Hali. I too like the reflection.

[Anthony J Howe]

It's a perfect reflection. Nice shot of the mallard too, well done Hali.

[sando]

It's always nice to see a good shot of a bird, never mind what type! Great shot!

[Sindri Skulason]

Very good shot. Like the reflection and composition. :-)

[ScottMAcD]

Good shot, the reflection certainly adds to the image :)

[Ilah]

Thanks for all the kind comments. I got lucky because about 10 seconds after I took the picture the wind picked up and never settled back down.

[pknight]

A question on the ID of this bird: I would have pegged it as a female mallard until recently, but two bird guides that I recently purchased each say (with photographic evidence) that the female mallard has a distinctly orange bill with black spots across the middle of it. I am willing to admit that I misidentify birds all the time, but I am not so sure that the Audubon Society would make the same mistakes.

Given the mallard's propensity to cross-breed with domestic ducks, perhaps this bird is mostly a mallard?

[Reyno]

Very nicely captured, the reflection is a sure eye catcher.

[Ilah]

Thank you Reyno. Pknight-I read that description of the mallard also and was or is a little unsure of the id of it, but nothing else came close. The white tail feathers were also mentioned and was part of what I was basing my id on. So if anyone has any idea I'd be glad to know.

[Phreddie]

A great shot, with (of course) that wonderful reflection.

I think there's little doubt about it being a Mallard, but the dark (almost black) central tail feathers makes me suspect it's a male not a female. Mallards (along with most ducks and some swans) loose their primary feathers in a serious moult at this time of the year (they become virtually flightless for a few weeks) and the male adopts a female like plummage (called eclipse plummage). I think you've caught a male going into eclipse, hense the reddish well marked breast, and the confusion over bill colour.

[Ilah]

Thank you Phreddie for the kind words and the information. I had no idea that they molted like that but it's good to know. So I'll assume that it's a mallard then, but a male.

[Frank_Hollahan]

I agree with the everybody else, the reflection is perfect, great capture