Today was all about the ducks! At Ada Hayden there were Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata), Greater Scaup (Aythya marila), Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis), Common Goldeneye (Bucephala albeola), Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors). They're a beautiful bird, whose courtship displays put a smile on my face every time I see them. The story of the duck is a sad one though. It seems like they should be friendly and approachable like other birds, but this isn't the case. Getting close is nearly impossible because of their fear of humans from centuries of getting shot at. They get tricked and shot at in every state. When they go on winter vacation, they get shot at the beach where regulations are lax to nonexistent. It's so sad that such delightful birds that once blacked out the sky for days during migration, now can't even fill a pond during peak migration.
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