Spring is Almost Here!

Here in upstate New York we have had a fairly mild winter. Christmas day was 70 degrees Fahrenheit and there will only a handful of cold snaps. Even so, I am happy that spring is almost here because that means most of the wildlife will be returning!

So without anymore delay here is some information on a very common waterfowl, the Mallard. 

On one of my walks last week I saw this Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos pair in a nearby small pond.

2016: Mallard Pair - Cobleskill NY

Mallards are probably the most iconic duck when it comes to ducks in North America. If you mention the word duck the image of this bird will probably come first to mind...maybe after the cute yellow duck image.

Mallards belong to the group of ducks called "dabbling ducks". Dabbling ducks forage for plant material in the water dipping in or under the water to retrieve their food. The types of plants that Mallards tend to feed on consist of  bulrush species, willow species, and duckweed species according to the book; Food Habits of the Mallard Duck in the United States by Waldo Lee McAtee.

When it comes to breeding mallards tend to be monogamous however male and female will sometimes go for other mates. Once a pair is established the pair will nest on the ground. The female is the only one to take care of the eggs and hatch-lings. The male is only there to protect the female from other male mallards.

These birds are very abundant and they are under least concern when it comes to conservation. Numbers cycle from 5 to 11 million. 

I hope you enjoyed this little information bit on the Mallard. Here are some other images of mallards that I took in years past.

2014: Mallard Pair - Amsterdam NY

2014: Mallard Pair - Amsterdam NY

2014: Female Mallard - Amsterdam NY

Sources: Google Scholar, https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=GHJCAQAAMAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA2&dq=mallard+food+&ots=ODGD2Lc5Lg&sig=kKS7NqNnrjo59zrgEXP-K2sl2zc#v=onepage&q=mallard%20food&f=false
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/lifehistory

Adventure to Landis Arboretum

Went to the local Arboretum with my aunt on Tuesday and was able to get my first decent wildlife shots of the year.

I definitely will be posting more of this Arboretum in the future, so there will probably be some history to go along with these photos at some point. But for now I am just throwing some pictures up.

View of Schohaire Valley through the Red Oak and Mighty White Oak.

Hairy Woodpecker climbing up a tree.

Male Eastern Bluebird

Male Eastern Bluebird

New Pollinating Bird Fossil Found

This is the earliest found fossil of a pollinating bird in the fossil record (47 million years ago). Found in Germany this 3 inch long bird is the size of a modern hummingbird and shows evidence of pollen being ingested. Check out more the story >>here<< on National Geographic. 

Photo Credit: Sven Traenkner

Update on Website! New Photos and Products!

Check out my website leahck.com where I have updated new gallery photos and products that are for sale! 

(c) Leah Klehn

Ivory-billed Woodpecker Work

This picture is 18''x24''. This took me a while to finish. It was originally for an auction for a trip but I didn't finish it in time. Probably end up selling it.