Every Mallard you see is a miracle. Their very existence is improbable. The weather, human activities, and predators all conspire to recycle them back into the tangled web of life. A Mallard nest has a 15% chance of fledging young. Of the nests that do fledge young, less than half of the ducklings survive the first two weeks, and only 1/3 survive for six weeks. When the naive young birds reach 60 days of age, their feathers are fully developed, and they can fly. Only 30% of these birds survive their first year of life.
Mallards are by far my favorite wild waterfowl. I help rescue them and they are more like dogs...smarter actually. Plz do not get offended by that comment. I'm a true "dog person"...but a "mallard mom"! I could go on and on about them and often do. So much that at work (my paying job) ppl often get tired of me talking about ducks lol. This article I truly appreciated and I know my husband will as well. You really hit the mark in even the title. Every word was 💯. That is why I will NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY ANYONE COULD HUNT THEM. If they ever got to know any of these fine ladies and gents and how hilarious and intelligent they are...they never could again. All of the ones I watch over know their names. They all work as a huge team even if they don't get along...they protect each other. They are truly amazing. Ty for this article!
Excellent essay Bill. I did not know those statistics on the Mallards and now I have even more respect for the ones I do see. Really nice poem as well by Bukowski.
“Mallards show us the body can take flight and become ethereal. We can transcend the cultural norms that weigh us down”.
Ah, a perfect defining of just one of many reasons I choose the path; through a morning spider webbed field still damp with dew, stone strewn through the woods, up a mountain pass, over a stream bed , across a precariously placed log…,
down my driveway with the dog, or just looking up. Breath in . Exhale slowly. Listen .Watch. Thank you Bill, your words, ‘eyes’ and willing subjects.
I adore ❤️ ducks. Thank you so much for this writing and photos today. I've been feeling down but this put a little smile on my face. I treasure the photos. Thank you so much for your work. I wish I could become a paid subscriber but I'm on a very fixed income. Thanks from me to all your paid subscribers also 😊🙏
You can beat death in life sometimes…. Now that is well said. I was lucky to live close to a small pond in South Carolina that I could observe from the house. It was amazing to watch all the duck
drama. I knew it was such a privilege to see but never totally understood it until reading this today. Thank-you
Great article, Bill! I liked “…They choose males based on plumage, the brightness and color of their bill, the frequency of displays and ‘other factors we do not understand’ “ it made me smile and I thought “ sound familiar , ladies?” 😂
This is a lovely essay, like most of yours, that includes what it takes for a creature to persist, beautifully illustrated with mallards. But low reproductive success is a very consistent feature of the life histories of a vast array of creatures. If we take the somewhat hypothetical example of a stable population, then the reproductive efforts of the average member of that population will only succeed in replacing itself in its lifetime. In that context, mallard survival rates don't seem all that low. As humans, we may be biased because human populations are approaching a type 2 survival curve, that is, low infant mortality and death at advanced or even old age. The opposite is true for (I think) the majority of creatures--- high infant mortality, and rare survival to old age. Even for people, this type 2 curve is a trend of the last few centuries only. The real miracle is that so many creatures must expend so much effort just to persist on earth. Life ain't easy!
I learned so much about Mallards from reading your post, Bill. I love these ducks and have, now, an even greater appreciation of them. And your last paragraph is such a beautiful meditation.
"We watch them, they watch us. It is a sacred dance. Birdwatching is a desire to live a dream, to be released from the earthly realm. Mallards show us the body can take flight and become ethereal. We can transcend the cultural norms that weigh us down. We can follow the Mallard into the sky, into the clouds, and into our birthright as divine beings. "
Bravo! I love ducks and am always drawn to them, but I had no idea about the statical odds against the common Mallard. It's so easy to think, "those are just Mallards... ho hum because they're always around." The other day on a walk along the lake, I watched Mallards, American Widgeons, Gadwalls and Buffleheads for a while - each doing their thing separately, and while I've certainly seen all of these before, I took the time to watch a little more carefully this time and allow myself to be enchanted by each of their antics. I realized that I'd never identified the Gadwalls because the females look so similar to the Mallards, but on closer inspection it's easy to see their differences.
What I really loved about this piece though, is this bit: "Mallards and people shine are luminous. We are embodied stardust with a twinkle in our eyes. We both possess an eagerness to fly. But unlike us, Mallards are true to their nature. They are in and of the moment. They beckon us to reside in the moment with them. To bring our presence to bear in the here and now. To hold our time together with a light touch that makes space for unfolding relationships. Can we be as true to ourselves as a bird?"
Mallards are by far my favorite wild waterfowl. I help rescue them and they are more like dogs...smarter actually. Plz do not get offended by that comment. I'm a true "dog person"...but a "mallard mom"! I could go on and on about them and often do. So much that at work (my paying job) ppl often get tired of me talking about ducks lol. This article I truly appreciated and I know my husband will as well. You really hit the mark in even the title. Every word was 💯. That is why I will NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY ANYONE COULD HUNT THEM. If they ever got to know any of these fine ladies and gents and how hilarious and intelligent they are...they never could again. All of the ones I watch over know their names. They all work as a huge team even if they don't get along...they protect each other. They are truly amazing. Ty for this article!
Excellent essay Bill. I did not know those statistics on the Mallards and now I have even more respect for the ones I do see. Really nice poem as well by Bukowski.
“Mallards show us the body can take flight and become ethereal. We can transcend the cultural norms that weigh us down”.
Ah, a perfect defining of just one of many reasons I choose the path; through a morning spider webbed field still damp with dew, stone strewn through the woods, up a mountain pass, over a stream bed , across a precariously placed log…,
down my driveway with the dog, or just looking up. Breath in . Exhale slowly. Listen .Watch. Thank you Bill, your words, ‘eyes’ and willing subjects.
I adore ❤️ ducks. Thank you so much for this writing and photos today. I've been feeling down but this put a little smile on my face. I treasure the photos. Thank you so much for your work. I wish I could become a paid subscriber but I'm on a very fixed income. Thanks from me to all your paid subscribers also 😊🙏
You can beat death in life sometimes…. Now that is well said. I was lucky to live close to a small pond in South Carolina that I could observe from the house. It was amazing to watch all the duck
drama. I knew it was such a privilege to see but never totally understood it until reading this today. Thank-you
Great article, Bill! I liked “…They choose males based on plumage, the brightness and color of their bill, the frequency of displays and ‘other factors we do not understand’ “ it made me smile and I thought “ sound familiar , ladies?” 😂
Oh, didn't you know?
Malllards are machines!
So we're taught.
Without souls, without goals.
Mallards are machines
So we're taught.
Stunning work, Bill!
My sister in Odense sent me a photo of an unusual male mallard. He is green all over! Sometimes nature surprises …
This is a lovely essay, like most of yours, that includes what it takes for a creature to persist, beautifully illustrated with mallards. But low reproductive success is a very consistent feature of the life histories of a vast array of creatures. If we take the somewhat hypothetical example of a stable population, then the reproductive efforts of the average member of that population will only succeed in replacing itself in its lifetime. In that context, mallard survival rates don't seem all that low. As humans, we may be biased because human populations are approaching a type 2 survival curve, that is, low infant mortality and death at advanced or even old age. The opposite is true for (I think) the majority of creatures--- high infant mortality, and rare survival to old age. Even for people, this type 2 curve is a trend of the last few centuries only. The real miracle is that so many creatures must expend so much effort just to persist on earth. Life ain't easy!
Wow!
I loved the essay on Mallard. Never realised survival is such a great issue for them.
Every word of this... perfect! Thank you! ✨
I learned so much about Mallards from reading your post, Bill. I love these ducks and have, now, an even greater appreciation of them. And your last paragraph is such a beautiful meditation.
"We watch them, they watch us. It is a sacred dance. Birdwatching is a desire to live a dream, to be released from the earthly realm. Mallards show us the body can take flight and become ethereal. We can transcend the cultural norms that weigh us down. We can follow the Mallard into the sky, into the clouds, and into our birthright as divine beings. "
I couldn't agree more. Thank you so much.
Fantastic post and images. Mallards are magnificent birds.
Bravo! I love ducks and am always drawn to them, but I had no idea about the statical odds against the common Mallard. It's so easy to think, "those are just Mallards... ho hum because they're always around." The other day on a walk along the lake, I watched Mallards, American Widgeons, Gadwalls and Buffleheads for a while - each doing their thing separately, and while I've certainly seen all of these before, I took the time to watch a little more carefully this time and allow myself to be enchanted by each of their antics. I realized that I'd never identified the Gadwalls because the females look so similar to the Mallards, but on closer inspection it's easy to see their differences.
What I really loved about this piece though, is this bit: "Mallards and people shine are luminous. We are embodied stardust with a twinkle in our eyes. We both possess an eagerness to fly. But unlike us, Mallards are true to their nature. They are in and of the moment. They beckon us to reside in the moment with them. To bring our presence to bear in the here and now. To hold our time together with a light touch that makes space for unfolding relationships. Can we be as true to ourselves as a bird?"