Bird: Mallard courtship...............

Mallard ducks are well-known for their monogamous tendency, most of the times they were seen as couples. I learned that they breed with the same mate for a season, admirable trait indeed!

Mallard ducks start courting in autumn. The drake tries to impress the choicest hen with his shiny plumage, preening, swimming, whistling and grunting. I agree to the fact partially. Well, the wooing and sticking to each other of mallards are exemplary. I beg to differ about the season. It's summer, yet this drake has fallen for this pretty hen. The female was pecking at the grass adhered to the pond edge and the male was waiting on her. Seems, romance has already begun for this pair...

This is the story of another pair of mallards.........
This couple has flown into our apartment complex to call it their spring retreat. When not occupied by the residents, the duo is often seen floating on the turquoise swimming pool. Sometimes, the couple is seen sunning by the edge of the pool, beside the rows of lounge chair or resting under the holly bushes. Yesterday, as the rain subsided, I went for a walk around the campus and saw the duo on the lawn. They were probing the wet earth under the Callery pear tree, perhaps for snails or earthworms to gorge on.

        What cheers me to see this mallard pair is their monogamy tendency apart from their photogenic looks. The female is a tad lame, yet the male seems to swoon over her. The duo hardly ever leave each other, always seen hanging out together. Enviable is their bond. Lot of commitment cues to emulate from these wild ducks....

A beautiful mallard couple seeking seclusion from the flock, in preparation for the ensuing breeding season. Is not that a romantic place to spend some quality time? :)

Its spring, the season of egg-laying...I was delighted to spot this innocuous egg lying under the Indian hawthorn thicket in Tewinkle Park...I guess, it belongs to certain mallard mom..