Category Archives: Duck

Wood Duck

A couple of male Wood Ducks were patrolling around the recently cleared Audubon Swamp at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. And without the cattail overgrowth they were easy to see.

Male Wood Duck
Male Wood Duck

Not that they came close and seemed determined to not give me the well lit shot I hoped for.

Male Wood Duck
Male Wood Duck, One Duckling

This male was following along his mate and eight or ten offspring.

Male Wood Duck
Male Wood Duck, Duckling in the weeds

A wider view, them all heading away from me in the mosquito fern covered pond.

Wood Duck Family
Wood Duck Family

The male was trying to encourage the group to turn back the other way, but the rest of them weren’t having it.

Wood Duck
Wood Duck Pair

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
April 15, 2023

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are Back

I had been wondering if we would see Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in South Carolina this year; they only starting migrating here from Florida in the last few years.

Last year it was May and June when I got pictures of them last year, although not at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens.

On Saturday, in the fog, there they were! Five of them just standing around in a tree in one of Magnolia’s recently cleared swamp areas.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

This morning not far from the above picture these two were soaking up the sun on an Alligator Ramp.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks on Alligator Ramp
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks on Alligator Ramp

A mother Wood Duck and her brood paddled on by.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks on Alligator Ramp
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks on Alligator Ramp

Whistling Ducks are cavity nesters like the Wood Ducks, and may use some of the man-made nest boxes or the tree cavities recently used by the Wood Ducks.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks on Alligator Ramp
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks on Alligator Ramp

I continued on my path and got a little closer view before these two flew off.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks on Alligator Ramp
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks on Alligator Ramp

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
April 15, 2023 & April 20, 2023

Hooded Merganser Trio

And a photobombing turtle!

Hooded Mergansers
Hooded Mergansers

One of them was fanning her tail feathers in quite a display.

Hooded Mergansers
Hooded Mergansers

I’m assuming they are female but it is possible that one or all of them are juvenile males, not females.

Hooded Mergansers
Hooded Mergansers

A lone male Hooded Merganser was on the other side of the pond but he opted not to check this trio out up close.

Hooded Merganser
Hooded Merganser

Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
February 27, 2023

 

Hooded Merganser with Snack

A big snack!

Hooded Merganser with Snack
Hooded Merganser with Snack

Some kind of a tadpole from the shape and way bigger than the duck’s mouth.

Hooded Merganser with Snack
Hooded Merganser with Snack

So big she took it for a ride before trying to swallow it, and slapped it in the water a couple of times.

Hooded Merganser with Snack
Hooded Merganser with Snack

Two other Mergansers that were following along so she changed course. Shortly after this image she swallowed it.

Hooded Merganser with Snack
Hooded Merganser with Snack

Cypress Wetlands, Port Royal, SC
February 27, 2023

 

Blue-winged Teals

Despite the green patch seen in the middle duck here, these are Blue-winged Teals.

Blue-winged Teals
Blue-winged Teals

A slight shift of the wing and you can see just the powder blue patch, and the more distinctive white patch on the male’s head.

Blue-winged Teals
Blue-winged Teals

This trio had all been either feeding or bathing.

Blue-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal

A good shake put the feathers to rights.

Blue-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal

Orlando Wetlands, Christmas, FL
January 18, 2023

Orlando Wetlands Park is 1650 acres of man-made wetland designed to provide advanced treatment for reclaimed water from the City of Orlando and other local cities.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, More Sedate

Just a short distance from the Black-bellied Whistling Duck Kerfuffle that I posted last week a few small groups were calmly hanging out.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Black-bellied Whistling Duck

This floating mat of vegetation was solid enough to hold up the ducks but there was water around their feet.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

This fellow was doing his own thing, sort of hiding in some taller grass.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

In this group, one duck was on high alert, one was sort of alert and the rest were snoozing.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Orlando Wetlands, Christmas, FL
January 18, 2023

Orlando Wetlands Park is 1650 acres of man-made wetland designed to provide advanced treatment for reclaimed water from the City of Orlando and other local cities.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks Flying By

In flight the Black-bellied Whistling Duck shows off a snazzy wing pattern.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

This one opted to leave the pack and head off on his own for a bit…

Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Black-bellied Whistling Duck

showing off that bright bill, which will look more pink in breeding season.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck In Flight
Black-bellied Whistling Duck In Flight

Orlando Wetlands, Christmas, FL
January 18, 2023

Orlando Wetlands Park is 1650 acres of man-made wetland designed to provide advanced treatment for reclaimed water from the City of Orlando and other local cities.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck Kerfuffle

Several groups of 10-20 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were scattered around the first pond at Orlando Wetlands. Most of them were resting or quietly feeding. Then there was this group.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Black-bellied Whistling Duck – cowabunga!

They were creating quite a flap, one or two flying straight up a few feet then wham, dropping into the middle of the group.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Black-bellied Whistling Duck

It seems too early in the year to be a breeding/territory thing. And there appeared to be plenty of food to go around.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Black-bellied Whistling Duck

A couple of Coots were unperturbed by the action.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Orlando Wetlands, Christmas, FL
January 18, 2023