Chapter 4 - Puddle Ducks

Mallard | Black Duck | European Widgeon | Baldpate | American Widgeon | Blue-Winged Teal | Green-Winged Teal | Cinnamon Teal | Woodduck | Pintail
| Gadwall

Due to its broad distribution along boat coasts and throughout the inland lakes and marshes, the mallard or "greenhead" is the most sought after of our waterfowl. It is the prettiest in the minds of some, since it has been the most common subject of painters and wildlife artists. Mallard decorations and miniature decoys grace many a sportsman's library or den. Only the shoveller and the woodduck vie for or possibly surpass his beauty. The drake has a blue-green iridescent head and neck, ringed at the base by a narrow white band. The blue-purple patch banded with white on the first section of the wing and his yellow legs mark him unmistakably. Many hunters call him "yellowlegs." The female is speckled with various shades of brown, but she also wears the blue-purple patches on the wings.

The mallard offers one of the best opportunities to break in on the study of waterfowl. You find them in most city parks the year round. You'll also find the domesticated variety on the farm. Commercial shooting preserves stock him for this type of pass shooting.

Many of the species do not migrate, preferring to stay in one place unless molested by predators, pollution, over-hunting or extremely bad weather. Since all ducks are migratory, numbers of mallards in company with black duck, widgeon, teal, pintail, and others, take off for the south for the winter and travel as far as Central America. In the spring they go as far north as Alaska and Newfoundland, following established migrating routes. These routes have been discovered by the extensive method of leg banding, a research that has been going on now for about fifty years.

The mallard, like all puddle ducks, rises quickly from the water in one frantic bound. It does not need to take off on a long runway of water as do its cousins, the diving ducks. While it rises off the water with a terrific flourish, it does not seem to be a fast flier in comparison with the teal, but does offer quite a sight to the naturalist or camera man and much more so to the gunner who tries to lead it correctly with the shotgun.

Mallards decoy readily to artificial replicas set out in the corner of a pond or near the rushes where they would come in to feed at dusk or dawn. One of the best ways to study these birds is to decoy them in this manner, having built a blind of natural grasses. Get to know a duck hunter and accompany him on his trip to the duck blind. Bring your camera along to record the birds as they bounce from the air, light on the water, or, sensing danger quickly change pace and direction to fly away almost before you have had the time to take your pictures.

Greenheads will often circle high overhead, spot the decoys and then come sailing in on set wings to alight among the "blocks," as the hunters call their decoys.

Pass shooting, that is, lying in wait for the birds to pass a given location, is another way of shooting them with camera or gun. When their route is known from their lake site to their feeding site, the area in between makes a good position to wait for them to pass overhead.

Jump shooting can also be done by silently gliding in a canoe or row boat down a winding river where the ducks are known to live and feed. Coming upon them suddenly will offer ample opportunities to see them in action.

Mallards vary in weight from a pound to three or four pounds depending on the condition and location and are among the best of ducks as a table staple. As none of the puddle ducks eat fish, they do not have a fishy taste. Their diet is mostly roots and shoots of aquatic plants, grain, nuts and seeds. The mallard feeds by ducking his head underwater to grope for these aquatic plants and shoots of grass. On land, "Mr. Mallard" is fond of grains, particularly corn and rice.

You should be able to get some fine shots of the courting which takes place in the spring of the year, and certainly a photo of the drake and hen with their little ducklings should grace any sportsman's den or photographer's studio.

Despite the inroads of civilization on their breeding grounds, the migrating areas and general development of watercourses, the mallard and his next of kin, the black duck, seem to be able to cope with worsening conditions.

Being versatile and adaptable, the federal government and state conservation departments have concentrated on protecting him and his grounds and restocking him, all with good results.

Like all magratory waterfowl, the mallard is protected by fed-eral gunning seasons which are followed by state enforcement with acceptable dates. The photographer, however, can "shoot" . and other easily found ducks the year 'round.

Greenheads nest in parks, along brooks and in swamps, anywhere near the water and food supply. Normally one clutch of eggs is laid each season, ranging from six to ten, but sometimes they will raise two or more broods if conditions warrant.

Young sportsmen who are interested in the art of taxidermy, that is the artistic mounting or "stuffing" of birds, can practice on the mallard, for he is the most available in many areas of the country. The practice mounts can be used later as decoys. Any den is made more beautiful by the addition of a brace mounted in flying position over the fireplace or against the wall.

Photographing the mallard, or any wildfowl, requires the best camera you can afford. Have one you can quickly recock and rewind in order to get in a second shot. Shoot at as fast a speed as light will allow, or arrange to take the photos at double or triple the film rating and have them developed to this prescription.

Mallards can easily be baited by planting rice or other aquatic foods of their liking around the pond or lake nearest you. Many gun clubs and sanctuaries do this. The actual practice of baiting, that is placing corn or grain in plain sight during the hunting season is against the law. However, it is allowable if you do not intend to shoot the birds. Just make sure you remove the grains before leaving the area.

The black duck is primarily an eastern species, ranging from Labrador and Newfoundland to Pennsylvania and North Carolina in the breeding and summer months, to the southern states, Mexico and Central America in the winter. Theirs is a very interesting pattern of migration and flock concentrations as shown by annual charts made up of recovered legbands from birds either found dead or shot by hunters. Banding is an important phase of duck and duck habitat research and sportsmen are urged to return tags immediately with the needed information to whatever address is on the tag.

There are two species of black ducks and the scientists are still arguing the points of distinction. One is smaller than the other, but from that point on, there is not much of a noticeable difference. As birds of one species can vary as much as a pound or more, telling the difference is quite a proposition.

The black duck is not really black. The male and female are colored about the same; with light tan heads and necks speckled with darker brown-tipped feathers. The body colors are rich brown with a darker, almost purplish cast, and their breasts are slightly lighter in color. The wings support the blue-purple patch similar to the mallard in both male and female.

Their legs are a brilliant reddish-orange and so they are nicknamed "redlegs."

This species is quite similar to the mallard in breeding season, locations, feeding habits and migration along the coast. They are often found in company with them and the other pond or puddle ducks, particularly the gadwall, pintail and widgeon.

Blacks decoy readily and are easily lured to the gunner's blind as are the mallards by the proper use of a duck call, imitating their calling and talking sounds to bring them in to properly placed decoys of either mallard or black duck colors. They are quite often more wary than the mallard and are generally more adaptable to East Coast conditions. There are more blacks on the Eastern Seaboard than almost any other species, and most of them stay the year round unless the ice and snow force them into going farther south.

While not as pretty a bird as the mallard, their habits are well worth knowing because of their large supply and they offer a greater opportunity for watching throughout the year than almost any other species.

"Redlegs" generally weigh a bit more than most mallards and are considered as good as the mallard on the dinner table. Their natural food is the same as the mallard, although they tend to stick more closely to the natural foods rather than resort to corn and other field grains.

Along our two coasts, they tend to feed and breed in the salt marshes and inland waterways where brackish water is present. At times this is reflected in their taste, but it is never fishy as the diving ducks at their very best.

Since they breed over a wide range, it behooves the sportsman to try and provide areas where they can nest and feed in peace. Many thousands reside in the sanctuaries and parks. Much work is needed to increase as well as maintain the present wetlands where all ducks feed and breed. The young sportsman can do the most good by joining a rod and gun club and working on such projects locally.
The black is the traditional duck of the hunter. A fascinating side study would encompass the history of duck shooting in America from the days of the market hunters to the present day.

The gradual improvement of duck blinds and decoys is part of that history. Some decoys located in old homes or boat houses have become quite valuable as collector's items. Browse around old book stores and perhaps you will find old hunting prints of duck shooting. They make a substantial addition to your den or study.

The European widgeon, a popular game bird of eastern Europe, is closely related to our baldpate or American widgeon, and is a common visitor to the Eastern Seaboard of America. It is also found occasionally on the West Coast. Since they are so similar in basic markings, they are considered here together. The difference in identification can be found in the variance of the underwing surface color. If it is whitish and mottled with dusky or ashy markings, it is the European. If the underwing is pale gray and not mottled, it is the baldpate, or American widgeon.
 
Both are a medium-sized duck with a purplish-pink body, white breast and black hindquarters. The head is of a white-brown hue with a green patch on the face running through the eye. They appear at a distance as small brownish ducks and sit buoyantly on the water, chest low and tail well elevated. The bend of the wing is carried low and the wing tips are pointed upwards. They pivot frequently as they feed and appear ever qn the alert even when hungry. The shiny white crown of the male's head gives the slight piebald appearance, hence the name baldpate.

These are swift flying ducks and are usually seen in compact flocks in irregular formation. Led by the master, they wheel and whiffle in a jerky zig-zag flight even though they are not frightened. When on the water they take alarm quickly and bounce into the air almost vertically and seem to spin quickly out of range.

The American variety breeds exclusively in northeastern North America. Large numbers of the species spend their winters on this continent though some seem to prefer the West Indies and parts of Central and South America.

I can recall spending a winter on the Yucatan Peninsula and having widgeon and teal regularly on the menu at the local hotels in Merida and Progresso. Market hunting below the border is still rampant and thousands of these ducks are killed each year despite international treaties, rules and regulations. It is amazing how much of our waterfowl are killed by the thousands as staple food down there, while we not only limit ourselves in our hunting, but spend large sums of money to develop the duck flocks and improve their breeding grounds in Canada and the North.

Normally, the widgeon feeds in the daylight hours on a mixed diet of vegetable and animal food, combining weeds, grasses, cockles and roots. The flock is often guided by an alert leader who directs them to a pond or marsh to surface feed and "tip" for food. The variance of their diet is responsible for the difference in their taste at the table. I have savored many a widgeon that was as good as teal and mallard when taken while feeding in fresh water. However, the same species that has been taken from the brackish marshes has a far different flavor.

The female lays from seven to ten eggs of whitish-cream color, the eggs of the two species being almost identical.

When you have the opportunity to watch these birds feed and play at ease, you'll have quite a show. During the winter months, particularly after the duck season is over, they relax their nervousness a trifle. Watching them in company with other shore birds along such areas as the St. John's River in Florida is quite an experience. I have often come upon them while bass fishing or trolling for shad. They are fairly easy to approach in the closed season and will decoy readily during the southward migration in the fall. Few ducks will decoy on their northern migration for they do not have a tendency to flock.

Study the migration maps published by the government. You'll also find such maps available from the conservation departments of the states. They have also been published in many bird books. From them you will be able to determine at what time of the year certain species can be seen in your immediate neighborhood.

The blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal can be grouped together because of the similarity of their habits and characteristics.

They are all fast fliers, good to eat, beautifully marked birds, fairly easy to identify even in bad light. Called the midgets of the webfoot world, they are the smallest of the ducks and travel farther north and south than most of their relatives. They are hardy ducks, nesting over a wide area from northern Alaska to the Dakotas and Nebraska. When the frosty weather comes they scatter across the country from California and Mexico to the Carolinas. The European or greenwing teal nests in the Aleutian Islands clear to Greenland. The slightly larger blue-wing does not go as far north or south. All species can be found in varying degrees from the Carolinas clear across Florida and the Gulf Coast during the winter months, with the bulk of the species wintering in Mexico, Panama, Caribbean Islands and several countries in South America.

How fast do teal fly? Ask any gunner and he will tell you that the teal is the fastest flier of the game, but the scientist disagrees, stating that the duck hunter is under the stress of optical illusion, and that due to the bird's small size it appears to be flying faster than, say, a mallard that is going full speed. This probably accounts for so many missed birds. Their flight is seldom straight and true, but is broken constantly by dipping and swerving, making them a difficult target to follow and lead properly for a clean shot.

Many duck hunters will pass up the bigger species and wait for the teal to come over the blind, for here is the sportiest of birds and also, in the minds of many, far superior in taste to most others. Fly tiers use many of the teal's feathers in their art.

The young sportsman wishing to adorn his den with well-mounted specimens should certainly include a brace of flying teal, greenwings, especially. Their beautifully marked heads and wing decorations are examples of Mother Nature's finest art work. Miniature teal decoys carved out of wood and authentically hand painted also make fine decorations and you don't have to kill a bird to make one.

The green-winged teal is quickly recognizable by its head markings. The rust-red, semi-crested head is graced by a velvet green strip beginning at the eye and extending to the back of the lower part of the crest. There is a dash of white in the form of a half-moon at the shoulder, noticeable particularly when the duck is standing at rest with wings folded in. The wings are generally grey-brown, but the iridescent panel markings are green, fronted by a definitely marked pink stripe.

The blue-winged teal has a longer bill, and smaller grey-blue head that is not crested. A half-moon white marking comes between the eye and the bill. The large light blue first section of the wing is followed by a white band and then a rich green section of feathers, making it quite impossible to mistake it for any other species.

The cinnamon teal is cinnamon-colored all over except that the wing is just about the same as the blue-winged teal.

All three attract well to properly placed decoys, not necessarily representing them. Black duck or mallard decoys will often suffice. Since these are very wary birds, it is best to have a very concealing blind for the hunter or photographer in order to have enough time before they discover you. They are fun to watch when they begin to feed, for they constantly talk to each other in an incessant gabble, tipping up their tails to the sky as they head under for bits of plant life.

Their numbers vary in many locations from year to year, but they seem to survive the depredations of civilization. In recent years, their numbers have held up much better than others, particularly the readhead, a species often found with them when they are in wide open areas such as sounds, bays and inland waterways.

You are fortunate if you live in the area east of the Mississippi, for you will be able to find the woodduck. There are also a few in southern British Columbia, Washington and Oregon with strays in northern California.

Their numbers are solid from Virginia to northern Maine.

This is by far the most beautiful of the game bird ducks of America. The hooded merganser, technically not a game bird, but a beautiful duck, is about his only rival. "Woodie" has been hunted for sport, meat and for plumage, and, as a result, took a terrible beating from market hunters until laws protected him. The first Swamp Act of 1849 started the drainage of about 70 million acres of water and marsh lands, its natural habitat, and this did additional damage, for it killed off his chance to live and breed in those sections of the country. In 1918 legislation in Canada saved the bird from extinction. The woodduck is still not on the hunting list in many states. Where it is legal game, only one bird per season is allowed. The feathers are used by fly tiers in making trout flies.

Many breeders of exotic birds for estates and parks kept the strain alive and stocking was responsible for bringing back the species in areas where it had been lost seemingly forever.

While the bird is extremely shy, it will nest readily in tree boxes placed alongside lakes and ponds or in marshes and swamps. The bird normally nests in trees, rather than on the ground, as the other ducks do.

The male is our only surface feeder with a crest on its head. Woodies are small, averaging eighteen inches long and weigh only one and a half pounds. They sit high on the water and their flight is swift and direct. Their food consists of aquatic plants, seeds and nuts.

Very seldom will you find a sizable flight of these birds, as they usually are prone to remain individuals, living in solitude in the marshes and protected lake shores. Usually, you will come upon them on some lost lake way back in the wilderness while on a camping or fishing trip. You might see one or two families at a time. They do not migrate to any great extent, often staying in one area and in one spot if conditions warrant. They are hardy and can usually ride out the winter. They do not require water all the time and so can get along during the freeze-ups.

If you reside west of the Great Lakes and in the northern states across to Oregon or north to Alaska, along the lower East and West Coasts or down into Mexico, you stand a good chance to see the pintail, one of the prettiest flying ducks of the entire list.

The pintail is a duck that wanted to be a goose. He has a long neck, longer than any other duck, and lets you know it in flight and when feeding on land or in the water. He also sports a pin tail, usually made of two or three sharp tail feathers, which extend a few inches beyond the ring of tail feathers. He is a medium-sized alert-looking duck with a bronze-brown head, white neck and breast with brownish-rust wings. Because of the long neck and the spiked tail he cannot possibly be mistaken for any other duck.

"Sprigs," as they are called, are fast erratic fliers, working the winds in irregular bunchy flights that seem to keep no air form, but vary constantly as they twist and turn, often without any apparent reason. Exceedingly shy, they will circle a pond several times before coming in. At just about the time you have your camera or gun set for action, something will scare them and they will instantly fly almost straight up and away.

They are quite often found in company with mallards, teal and other pond ducks and they will decoy readily to either black or mallard "blocks."
Pintails seem to be in good supply. They migrate very early in the spring, almost before one would think it was time to see any bird coming north. They are also an early breeder, laying as many as ten eggs at a time.

One of the prettiest set of pictures can be had when they are tipping up, feeding underwater. Their tails dance in the sunlight. Then, when they come up, and swallow their food they will literally stand on the water, fan their wings, stick out their neck as if to stretch it a bit for further feeding. That kind of photo sequence added to a good picture of their flight across the sunset sky will add a great thrill to your album. They do not breed in the Arctic, but many a nest is come upon in the resort areas of our northern states and in Canada.

The gadwall is a world traveler, and is found in all but South America and Australia. One of the most prolific birds, it offers great opportunities for the naturalist. Despite much encroachment of civilization, the gadwall stands up in defiance to it all.

Our western and central regions get the heaviest flights of these birds. The author has seen clouds of them during their wintering sessions in Florida. They are later migrants in the spring than most other ducks, preferring to make sure that the ice is out. They nest later, quite often into early summer. I have come upon their nests while fishing in the northern states. They hit the air trail sooner than the rest when the first signs of fall appear.

On the water they appear as a medium-sized duck, of general greyish-brown hue, and can be confused in bad light with the blackduck. Their wings sport irregular patches of cinnamon, black and off-white, but other than that they are rather drab in appearance. They make up for this by their cocky attitude and constant nervous activity while on the water.

They decoy more easily than most other ducks and do not become frightened quite as fast as blacks, teal or pintails. They are the amateur hunter's duck, for they are not particularly fast fliers.

Foodwise, they are similar to the blackduck, though not quite so tasty.

Most hunters pass them up, due to the low bag limits, preferring to let them come into the blind and the decoys with the hope that other species, seeing them, will be attracted.

Since they are so available they make great practice birds for your experience in action and long distance telephoto photography.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...