On Hearing the First Quack of Spring

[gandalfs_appren]

How do I know spring has sprung

Comments

[heartofoshun]

I'm utterly fascinated I did not know that Lady Mallards had more than one husband. Not that I ever really thought about it. But growing up I did hear the swans-have-one-mate-for-life story many times. I later discovered that this is not true either but that swans may have up to four mates.

[heartofoshun]

Of course, the ducks in the swimming pool will now always make me think of Tony Soprano.

[gandalfs_appren]

Actually, I don't know if she mates with both--only that both of them are interested, and keep at it for quite a while. Once they are nesting, the females disappear and you see only green-headed ducks.

But I do know that ornithologists have documented female birds with two mates bringing them food as they incubated. Sounds good to me.....

[heartofoshun]

That would definitely be an improvement over my marriages, I always made more money than the fathers of my children!

[gandalfs_appren]

It comes early in this part of the world. For all the cool weather around here (the result of the arctic current cooling the ocean), it is actually pretty far south.

[pandemonium_213]

My daughter and I saw several mallards - drakes and ducks alike - cavorting in a small pond a couple of weeks ago during mild weather. The birds were having a grand old time - splashing and quacking away - and it really seemed like a harbinger of spring. But then Mother Nature dumped the most snow we've had all winter on central Jersey yesterday.

On birds' mating strategies - I'm always tickled by the Canada geese. During mating season, they very obviously pair up. Even when a big flock of them graze on an open field or lawn, one can still discern the pairs.

[gandalfs_appren]

That's true of the mallards when they are mating, too. In the fall there's a very strange time when the drakes lose their green necks, and all the ducks look the same.

Mostly they stay here year-round, but they seem to have favorite seasonal hangouts.

[morethmusing]

Yup - I know when spring has arrived because everything in the countryside starts yelling about sex (and territorial conflict)... :P

We have a lot of ducks on the river here. (I know exactly what you mean by the 'descending tone'.) I love your description of their mating strategy :D

P.S. I quite like the patterning on the females... less "BLING" then the males, but still beautiful.

[gandalfs_appren]

I'm hearing lovely lyrical mating songs from the more tuneful birds, too, but nothing makes me smile like that quack-quack-quack!

[dracoena]

This was a delightful, funny and insightful piece of writing. I enjoyed it a lot, and learned about ducks... I would try to be more observant in the future, but unfortunately the few ducks we had in the city part got deported a while ago. :(

[gandalfs_appren]

???

deported?

Did they not have their passports?

[dracoena]

They were forced to leave their homes and sent to a more hygienical park in another city. :( Now I remember, there was a stubborn one who remained here and refused to be taken, but eventually he was gone, too...