Ducks

a male Eurasian Wigeon with the elegant chestnut colored head

a gathering of Gadwalls

a feral white Domestic Duck

three days later there are only 2 ducklings left

her ducklings come in different colors

contrarily to most other ducks, Common Mergansers only eat fish

a Black-headed gull seems to envy the colorful head of the Teal

foraging Eurasian Teals. The males have a large green patch around the eye

Northern Shovelers are easily recognized by the oversized bill

the tuft of female Tufted Ducks is more modest

Birds of the uiterwaarden: Ducks

With sheltered, nutrient-rich ponds located on either side of the River Maas, the nature reserves Hedelse Bovenwaard and Empelse Waardoffer a healthy biotope for waterfowl like ducks.

Various species of duck live and breed here year-round such as Mallard, Tufted Duck and Gadwall.

Although still numerous, Mallard numbers in the Netherlands are slowly declining, possibly caused by the low survival rate of the ducklings.
Luckily the other two species do increase in numbers.

In autumn and spring, hordes of migratory birds descend on the Bovenwaardse Plas to rest, forage, and, who knows, exchange the latest bird gossip.

Among these migratory guests are duck species such as the large and colorful Common Shelduck, the chestnut headed Eurasian Wigeon, the Northern Shoveler with its oversized bill , the small Eurasian Teal, and the piscivorous Common Merganser.

The photos date from 2021 onwards.

a typical couple of Mallards. Note the shiny bluegreen head of the male.

Mating is a dangerous exercise for the female

a male Tufted Duck proudly shows his splendid tuft

Common Shelducks are goose-sized birds, males like this one have a large knob at the forehead

the head of female Eurasian Wigeons is less colorful

female Mergansers have a crest of large, brown, headfeathers