{"id":45136,"date":"2017-01-17T06:08:39","date_gmt":"2017-01-17T13:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=45136"},"modified":"2017-01-17T12:14:06","modified_gmt":"2017-01-17T19:14:06","slug":"ducks-fighting-cormorants-flying-and-geese-mating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/17\/ducks-fighting-cormorants-flying-and-geese-mating\/","title":{"rendered":"Ducks Fighting, Mergansers Flying And Geese Mating"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday morning our gunky air suddenly and unexpectedly cleared out of much of the valley so I visited a local pond to see if I could scratch my photography itch on some birds that might (or might not)\u00a0be there. There was sporadic excitement on the pond but much of it was too far away for decent photos so these first three\u00a0images are large crops documenting behavior.<\/p>\n

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\"shoveler1\/1250, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

Based on their sporadic but epic battles, spring hormones were obviously\u00a0gushing in these two male Shovelers. Serious and extended fights broke out between them at least four times in the hour or so I was there. Here I enjoy seeing the\u00a0single eye peeking out between the wings of the\u00a0panicked duck on the right.<\/p>\n

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\"shoveler<\/p>\n

1\/1650, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

I wish I could tell the two males apart so I knew if the same bird was always the aggressor but it appeared to me that they took turns being the bad guy. With that spatulate bill held open as it is in the duck on the right I couldn’t help thinking it might be an air drag at these speeds. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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\"shoveler<\/p>\n

1\/1250, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

These little ducks can really move when they want to. The two males have been on the pond for at least a week now and I can only imagine how many fights have broken out in that time.<\/p>\n

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The next image is only a progress report on one of my latest photography goals – a quality image of a Common Merganser in flight.\u00a0This photo…<\/p>\n

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\"common1\/1600, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

if far from a quality image but I’m getting closer. I was distracted when this female and some of her companions took off so I didn’t get my lens on her until it was almost too late. As a result the bird is too close to the top of the frame and not as sharp as\u00a0she should be but it’s a start. Hopefully I’ll have a better image to post soon.<\/p>\n

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But most of the excitement on the pond came from a mated pair of Canada Geese. At first there were no geese on the small\u00a0pond but soon several large flocks came noisily swooping in and landed quite close to me. While they were there most of them were just resting but soon the behavior of two of them changed dramatically.<\/p>\n

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\"canada<\/p>\n

1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

Copulation of Canada Geese is preceded by Head-dipping and that’s exactly what this pair did for some time. They both dipped their heads and necks into the water and then raised them quickly which forces water over their backs. At first I thought they were just bathing but it soon became apparent something else was going on. I have many photos of these birds with sheets of water flowing over their backs but this is my best shot of the two of them (I was too close to them to avoid clipping body parts in many of my images).<\/p>\n

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\"canada<\/p>\n

1\/3200, f\/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

After extended Head-dipping the male mounted the female and grasped some of her neck feathers in his bill.<\/p>\n

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\"canada<\/p>\n

1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

He really had a death-grip on her. At times he even forced her head…<\/p>\n

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\"canada<\/p>\n

1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

completely underwater. I chose to post this image because we can still (barely) see her eye.<\/p>\n

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\"canada<\/p>\n

1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

A close crop of another image allows a more intimate look at the behavior which may appear here as\u00a0forceful and violent. It really wasn’t. This is nothing like the “gang-rape mating” of Mallards where several males force a female to submit and then violently mate with her.<\/p>\n

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\"canada<\/p>\n

1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

The female was compliant and cooperative the entire time. In fact at times the male let go of her neck and just seemed to be enjoying the ride. He relaxed to the point that he even dipped his head into the water but she made no attempt to escape.<\/p>\n

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\"canada<\/p>\n

1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

Near the end of the behavior he pulled so hard on some of her neck feathers that…<\/p>\n

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\"canada<\/p>\n

1\/1600, f\/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n

some of them were pulled out as the female calmly swam out from under him. I’ve also\u00a0seen (and photographed) neck\u00a0feathers being pulled out in other mating geese in the past.<\/p>\n

The actual\u00a0maing occurred with their tails underwater so I couldn’t really tell when it happened or how long it lasted.<\/p>\n

Canada Geese are monogamous and generally mate for life. Their divorce rate (that’s actually what it’s called) is\u00a0extremely low, estimated at 1-2%. Usually, only the death of one bird of the pair will cause the survivor to seek another mate.<\/p>\n

Humans could learn a lesson or two from Canada Geese.<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

Notes: <\/em><\/p>\n