CAMPFIRE CHAT
A mallard drake on a wood duck house doesn't seem to be something to write about except that this one is unique. I attempted unsuccessfully to photograph all that this mallard did so I just took his picture and will tell the story. We do not normally have mallards on our pond here in West Ouachita Parish. Every year the wood ducks come and nest, producing sometimes multiple broods of new ducks not too far from our backdoor. This year for the first time in my remembrance we had a mallard drake. He immediately began to challenge the male wood ducks for dominance over their females. The normal habit of the male wood duck might include a flyby with the female checking out the box for her to inhabit. Sometimes, once the box is selected, they will land on top and she will enter while he stands guard on top of the box. This year, however, when the wood duck pair took off to carry out their normal activity, this mallard flew along side the male wood duck as if to guard the female. At first they seem to be in competition. Later they accepted one another and carried out their duty together. This is one confused mallard and we have some irritated wood ducks. Needless to say, this is one mischievious duck and one more moment in the life of a wildlife photographer.
