Duck drama is not exclusive to Muscovy. This female mallard had a partner but he was hit by a car on the busy road. He looks OK (not run over) so passerby's caught him (not an easy task) and took him to an animal rehab. The vet there said his internal injuries were to great and the best thing was euthanasia. She hung around the same pond for a while (typically they moved around a bit) and I felt sad for her all alone. While they don't mate for life, they are monogamous so she was possibly waiting for her mate to return to the same spot. Now there's a new male with her and he's young. Maybe she's a cougar and not a duck?!?!??
OK, so there is Muscovy news too. Learned that this couple, and another female, were visiting Brokewing. The two couples swam together in Brokewing's pool and both couples had copulation. But sadly, Brokewing's female was killed on the busy road (Muscovy do a lot of walking instead of flying). Everyday the male would come back to Brokewing's pool, then a couple hours later the female would join in. But, one day things changed and the female came first. Brokewing and her took this opportunity for some hanky panky but the male caught them! There was a fight and Brokewing's eye was injured. The "owner" thought he might lose it but with veterinary and TLC, his eye was saved. You don't mess with another duck's woman.
The White Ibis is nothing new to our neighborhood. Sometimes it seems like there are a 100 of them. But the heron in the top of the photo is somewhat new. I am thinking he is an immature Little Blue Heron in molting plumage. Can't get close enough for good photo - he's very skittish - and that's the way he should be!
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