My easter Spanish sojourn this year was a cold wet and thoroughly miserable affair. Too early for most of the passerines, water levels too high on the saltpans so few birds within photographable range. Clot de Gaveny reserve near Alicante airport produced a few worthwhile shots, but nothing of note this year.
Four male white headed ducks were serenading two females, buzzing around grunting and occasionaly doing what "stiff tails" should do
Olympus E-1, Nikon 300mm F2.8 AIS, Olympus E 1.4 tc (=840mm in 35mm terms), Tripod and W. Sidekick, iso 400, 1/200 at F4 (desperately low light levels really), cropped
I didn't see much display between male/female in open water, but the inter-male rivalry display is like wind up scarab beetles - , they chug around arched low in the water water making a rattling/grunting noise before chasing each other - tails down
The white headed duck is still a red data rare breeding bird in europe, as many will know supposedly endangered by interbreeding by the Ruddy Duck which originated from America but escaped from wildfowl collections - both are in the "stiff tail" family of ducks
Discussion
2 repliesFour male white headed ducks were serenading two females, buzzing around grunting and occasionaly doing what "stiff tails" should do
Olympus E-1, Nikon 300mm F2.8 AIS, Olympus E 1.4 tc (=840mm in 35mm terms), Tripod and W. Sidekick, iso 400, 1/200 at F4 (desperately low light levels really), cropped
Looks very similar to the dreaded Ruddy duck display - do they do that 'bubbling' behaviour as well?
Well done catching the behaviour.
I didn't see much display between male/female in open water, but the inter-male rivalry display is like wind up scarab beetles
The white headed duck is still a red data rare breeding bird in europe, as many will know supposedly endangered by interbreeding by the Ruddy Duck which originated from America but escaped from wildfowl collections - both are in the "stiff tail" family of ducks