Wild Pond Ducks: Florida Mottled Ducks, Mallard Ducks, Hybrids

Last evening I did a bit of bird watching at Paradise Lake, Lake Mira-mar, and the Golf View Lake here in The Villages, Florida where I spotted many wild ducks.  Most of the ducks were the native wild Florida Mottled Ducks, Mottled and Mallard hybrid ducks and a few Mallard Ducks.

All of these are dabbling ducks that tip their head into the water to grab small insects, worms and aquatic plants to eat.  These ducks are here all year around.  They are enjoying our many small ponds and lakes and have made themselves quite at home here.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

 

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Mallard Ducks

Mallard Ducks are commonly found here on ponds and lakes.  They are handsome social ducks but are not highly appreciated here in Florida as they interbreed with the native Mottled Ducks and create hybrids.  I have spotted these Mallard/Mottled Duck hybrids here.

One of the main characteristics of the Mallard Ducks is their loud quacking.  they are very vocal and call when flocking up, when trying to attract a female mate, and when alarmed.  These ducks have a true strong quack, quack, quack, unlike several other ducks that whistle, chirp or lightly quack.

The males have blue-green feathers on the top of their head and have a streaky tan-colored body with blue and white wing bars.  They also have orange feet and a yellow-green bill.  The hens are a streaky tan also with the blue and white wing bars, orange feet and yellow-green bill.

Please click on the the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

 

Bird Watching at Dusk

Whistling Ducks, a Glossy Ibis, and Mallard Ducks

Newly hatched Canada goslings, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Mallard Ducks, a Glossy Ibis, an Anhinga, and a tree full of Great Blue Herons were all spotted here in The Villages during the past two evenings at twilight.

Please click on the thumbnail image to see the very slightly larger version of the picture.  Wishing everyone who celebrates, a happy Passover, and a most happy Easter!

Great Egret and Anhinga

Great Egret Roosting

Newly Hatched Canada Goslings

 

Snowy Egret

Great Blue Heron Rookery

Great Blue Heron Rookery

Wordless Wednesday

Osprey

Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of each photo.  Enjoy!

Kildeer in Flight

Mallards in Flight, White Pelicans, and Double-crested Cormorants

White Pelicans in Flight

 

 

 

Great Egret, Mallards, Cormorant

Mallard Ducks

Great Blue Heron

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Canada Geese

Mallard Ducks

Great Egret

Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Freshwater Cooter Turtle

Hen Hooded Merganser Duck

Great Egret

A Little Blue Heron and Friends

This Little Blue Heron and a pair of Mallard Ducks were spotted on the shore of a small pond in the Buffalo Plaza shopping area next to the NYPD Pizza restaurant on CR 466 in The Villages, FL on Friday at twilight.  I have sometimes seen a Little Blue Heron at this pond at times in the past during the Winter months.  There also was a camera shy Common Moorhen at the pond.

I have photographed birds at the pond before but it has been quite a while since I have seen much there.  I did check out the larger pond just to the Northeast on the Eastern side of the Walmart parking lot but did not see anything there other than a Great Egret.  Recently there has been some landscaping with the big grasses and reeds having been cut so perhaps that has affected the desirability of the pond for the big birds.  I also did not see any alligators.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Merry Migratory Ducks

Lesser Scaup Ducks

Hooded Mergansers, Northern Shovelers, Mallards, and Lesser Scaup Ducks are all here in The Villages, Florida right now.  I was out and about bird watching at a few local small lakes and golf course ponds and saw many small flocks of these migratory Winter visitors.

Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the photo.  Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and an outstanding New Year in 2019!

Northern Shoveler Ducks

Mallard Ducks

Northern Shoveler Drake (male)

 

Hen Mallard Duck

Hooded Merganser Ducks

Lesser Scaup (left) and a pair of Hooded Mergansers