A Cool Drink - Mandarin Duck



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 hoods in an effort to win the love of a female. Their call is similar to the wood duck. Quiet and shrill at the same time.



Pictured above is that same beautiful male...I believe, with his lady.

They have chosen a high-spot in the shade and above the water. They have a keen sense of vision and as you can tell are keeping a close eye out for predators looking to make them it's next meal.

I am continually amazed at the beauty of nature. Every color in the rainbow and many that aren't. There is always something new and beautiful waiting around the next corner.

To see these and more of my wildlife photography visit my site here.

Thanks for reading!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sunset at Fort Casey

The Face of Tatanka

Kiva Ruins - Cold Spring Cave