Diving in the Reservoir

Every time I see a ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris), I start to smile. This is one of the most delightful diving ducks around. Although the ring around the duck's neck is seldom seen, the stripe on the bill is always visible. Why isn't it called a ring-billed duck? I don't know, I didn't name them!

Ring-necked duck on the Reservoir, November 20, 2014

The latest Filming the Feathers video features the ring-necked ducks I've seen since 2013. It is set to Mozart. I think all the videos were taken at the Reservoir.

You can get a sense of the ring-necked duck's size next to this Canada goose. These ducks often hang out with the dabblers, and I've frequently seen them swimming with the mallards. They eat aquatic plants, including seeds, roots, and stems, as well as insects and mollusks. In the video, you'll see one ring-necked trying to eat a large acorn, dropping it, picking it up and dropping it again.

Ring-necked duck and Canada goose, January 19, 2016

These photos are from 2014, 2015 and January 2016. I hope I get to see more ring-neckeds as the ducks fly through this November.

A Green-Winged Teal, at Last!

Every time I'd read a posting or get a message that there was a green-winged teal at the Reservoir or elsewhere, I'd go to look for the duck and just miss it. I was firmly convinced I'd never see this duck, that my hopes and dreams would be dashed again.

Female green-winged teal at the Meer, Oct. 5, 2016. You can see a bit of the green.

But finally, after a couple of visits to the Meer in Central Park, I spotted the female green-winged teal I'd been told was there. It was a delight to see the little duck, and to get some photos and video. As you can see from the Cornell Web site, this is a very handsome duck and worth looking for.

I have yet to see a male, but now that I've seen the female, maybe my tealless days are over.

Little Duckies at the Pond

On July 5, Mama Mallard took her six little ducklings out for a swim on the Pond in Central Park. Mama was interested in the peanuts I brought for Woody, but I was careful that the little ones didn't get any — they could choke!

I wanted to post this ASAP because too often I return to the Pond and there are fewer little duckies than there were the day before. There are so many dangers! Snapping turtles, huge carp, raccoons, rats, black crowned night herons — all could try to make a snack of a little duckling. 

But last year or the year before, one of the Pond mallard mamas kept all seven of her little ducklings alive until they were the equivalent of teenagers. And this year a mallard mama at Turtle Pond also kept her seven ducklings alive. So I will keep my fingers crossed for all of these little ones.

So much cuteness in one little video! My thanks to the ever so talented Eric Benjamin Gordon for his composition Mild Life used in this film.