Egrets and Mallards at Russel Creek Pond

Last Sunday I went to Russel Creek pond with Lily and her friend for a walk. While they walked and talked, I was distracted by the waterfowls in the pond.

There were many ducks in the pond, gulls above the pond in the sky, mostly over the main body of the pond. Then I saw a pair of Mallards - a male and a female near the east end of the pond, there was a big egret nearby. I kept walking after taking a few pictures. I saw another smaller egret at the other end of the pond, in similar posture. A grey heron came into sight - it was so well camouflaged I did not see it during the first laps.

They are all regulars at the pond. Nothing special.

After our third lap at the pond, drama in nature stared to happen to observing eyes.

The pair of mallards were swimming by the east end of the end pond side by side as we passed by, and in next second the male mallard mounted onto the female. While on top of the female, the male kept pecking at her head, they were courting  - I saw this before. After a few seconds, I started to take pictures at the moment the female was submerged into the water, and then the two separated, and the female swam around the male, and flapped her wings really fast, almost standing on her tail in the water!!

Egret and a pair of ducks

A grey heron

Mallard mating and afterwards

The next thing I noticed was that the larger egret (A) flew toward the smaller one (B), seemingly trying to drive it away. The egret A flew to  B, and landed close by and started to flap wings. Egret B flew away, A followed. B landed on the bank, A landed nearby. B flew away  again, and stopped on a tree branch, Egret A landed right under the tree. Their fly around the pond with wings fully expanded and flapping was quite some awesome visual feast to me. They repeated this cycle quite a few times during the last 30 to 40 minutes we were at the pond

I initially thought that this was the ritual of egret courtship, the larger egret was male, the smaller one was female. But more observations made me think it might be the adult egret trying to drive the smaller and younger egret away from the pond. Either way it was a great show!!

Egrets 

Fly around pond

Can you see Grey heron in this photo?

Note: It takes patience, curiosity and luck to see great shows in nature. I got several chances to see such great shows in my front yard, around the community and by the pond

1) See who my neighbors are

2) Spring Time Stories

3) This Autumn