Mallards doing the Mallard bath in a pond, as can be seen throughout most of the United Sates and Canada. We rarely see Mallards in the other ponds we visit, but Magnolia Cemetery is more of an urban location where you would expect them to congregate.
The sun was perfect on this early February afternoon and the Mallards were enjoying an unseasonably warm day.
After bathing they had a dead tree trunk to perch on, out of the water and with a good view of potential hazards. This pond does host a few Alligators, I have seen fox on the cemetery grounds, and a few Red-shouldered Hawks could be heard nearby.
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Mallards are beautiful ducks and always look like they are smiling. Nice captures of their pretty colors, Ellen!
Love to see the sun make their colors shimmer. Thanks, Donna!
Mallards are such pretty birds. You’ve captured the colors beautifully, Ellen, especially the bright blue on the wings. I see you live in the Lowcountry. It was my home for 15 years before moving west. Glad I found your blog.
Thanks, Jane, and thanks for stopping by! Yes, we’ve been near Charleston for almost two years and are very much enjoying photographing this area. I just poked around your blog a bit and saw the Angel Oak in your tree post. You’ve gone to another great spot for capturing so many things and have created lovely images. I was in SF just once, pre-photography days and would love to return some time.
Enjoy the Charleston area, Ellen. We loved it. And the area is wonderful to photograph.