Birding along with Bufflehead Courtship

Today I traveled back to Jenney Pond with my colleague Doug for both of us to do birding and, of course, I will do some photography.  Because of illnesses and other events, Doug and I have not been out since probably late last year.

Besides getting a nice photograph of a Great Blue Heron with its reflection in the blue tone water because the sky was overcast.

Great Blue Heron with Reflection

I spent a lot of my time photographing the courtship behavior of the Bufflehead. The hen would fly down the pond and land and the drakes would follow behind and try to get the hen interested in themselves. The drakes would also chase other drakes to keep them away from the hen.  There was a lot of activity on the water and in the air with the Bufflehead's flying.

Drake Bufflehead, Chasing a Hen Bufflehead

Drake Bufflehead, Chasing a Hen Bufflehead

Drake Bufflehead Running Take off

Drake Bufflehead Landing

Drake Bufflehead, Chasing a Drake Bufflehead

Drake Bufflehead Flapping

Hen Bufflehead in Flight

Two Pairs of Bufflehead, Swimming Quietly

We also birded besides Jenny Pond, Plymouth Harbor, Nelson Beach, Long Beach, and Manomet Point.  At those places, the majority of birds were too far out to take photographs.  In total, we came up with about 35 different species, which for around two hours was not bad.  The weather temperature was in the mid-30s, the sky, clouded up and the wind picked up, especially when we were out and Manomet Point, probably brought the wind chill down into the 20s.

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Mallard Duck Courtship and-and Mating

Pair of Mallards

It is winter and is the time for ducks to choose their mates.  The drake ducks perform their courtship ritual for the females since the female who chooses, with whom she wants to mate.

Mallards have a couple of different courtship behaviors such as head-pumping, head-up-tail-up, nod-swimming and grunt-whistle.  The other day when I was at Jenney Pond, I observed both a hen and drake mallard doing head-pumping right in front of me.  They would dip their beak into the water, bring it up with the water drops dripping from the beak.  When that was concluded the mallards perform their mating ritual, which has the drake holding on to the head of the female keeping her submerged.

Mallards Performing Head-Pumping

Mallards Performing Head-Pumping

Mallards Performing Head-Pumping

Mallards Performing Head-Pumping

Mallards Mating

Mallards Mating

Mallards Mating

Mallards Mating

Mallards Mating

The reason I knew this would happen is not only just photographing the subjects but also paying attention to their behavior.  The more you know about the behavior the more you know what to look for and be prepared for in order to capture the picture.