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A Cool Drink - Mandarin Duck

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A Cool Drink - Mandarin Drake You can smell the decaying leaves signaling the changing of the seasons. A lone Mandarin Drake duck sneaks from his hiding place in the thick timbers to take a drink of the cool waters that soon will be frozen over. He's still wearing his full breeding plumage of brown, buff, purple and green. With just the right amount of white to accent the striking colors. He stops and looks around, making sure there are no predators then takes a quick drink and disappears back into the wood-lot he calls home...at least for the summer. Mandarin Ducks are native to Asia, however, due to their beautiful colors, they have become popular throughout the world, where they adorn many ponds and waterways. This fine specimen was photographed at a secluded waterway in Utah. Mandarin Ducks are a close cousin to the American wood duck, sharing many of their habits including nesting in trees. During mating season they can be seen flashing their beautiful hoo