Eclipse news - from the mallards

An update on the eclipse of the mallards on the day of a total eclipse of the sun in the USA.  I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the mallard drakes in complete camouflage outfits while they waited for their new wing feathers to grow. Some of them, such as this one, are still in eclipse plumage.  He seemed quite pleased with himself.

Here he is with a duck for comparison.  Note her darker and two-tone beak.

When the sun came out he was doing a bit of yoga.

Then suddenly there was trouble as another drake appeared.  This one is well on the way to developing its breeding colour plumage and wanted to take over the mound of rushes.

The first drake jumped into the water to escape so the newcomer attacked the duck

and chased her into the water as well.

Once he had cleared all the others away he gave a victory salute.

The first drake sat and watched until the intruder went away.  You can see the green just starting to appear in his head feathers.

And his wing feathers are largely regrown.

This is one of this year's young, now full grown and showing the beautiful indigo speculum feathers.

You can tell it was a quiet day in the hide when the most interesting bird on the lake was a mallard!