At first glance it looks like the farmer grew a crop of mallards.
On second glance we can see that there are widgeons among them.
At third glance, in a close look near the bottom of the photo we can see that the farmer actually grew potatoes. Some were missed and have been unearthed by the ducks to nibble on. It’s not their first choice of food but who knows what other seeds or insects may be hiding alongside the potatoes?
D is for duck, but when they sense danger, they don’t “duck.” They fly!



December 4, 2024 at 12:54 am
Hahaha. 😊 Yes, they do fly. I’ve seen them all over the parks in huge flocks like that, seemingly combing through the grass (they weren’t given any food). They should be able to find lots of insects and worms in a freshly turned field along with some potatoes! Great pictures, Anneli. That’s a lot of ducks.
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December 4, 2024 at 8:47 am
It sure is a lot of ducks in one place. They are there for the potatoes. The Captain told me they love the potatoes when they start to go mushy. Maybe the potatoes are turning into vodka and the ducks are keeping this a secret. They do seem to be flying around in circles a lot.
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December 4, 2024 at 12:56 pm
A little seasonal cheer for them. 😉
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December 4, 2024 at 1:47 am
Ducks of every description abound in Vancouver right now. The name duck is such a catchall term, with wigeons, scoters, goldeneyes, coots and others. Fascinating to watch and their plumage patterns are so intricate. We had to laugh yesterday as Parks staff cut the grass amid the ever present flock of Canada Geese. We could not tell if he was mowing the geese or herding them. Have a great day Anneli. Alan
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December 4, 2024 at 8:47 am
I bet that freaked them out, trying to keep a waddle ahead of the mower.
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December 4, 2024 at 3:21 am
A lovely wildlife-and-nature aware post, Anneli – intriguing, inventive, lovingly written!
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December 4, 2024 at 8:48 am
Thanks, Jeff. It’s a beautiful sight (and sound) to see so many in one place.
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December 5, 2024 at 2:50 am
It really is – and so well illustrated by yourself.
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December 4, 2024 at 4:03 am
Dear Anneli
A crop of ducks 👍
Here our farmers grow geese 😉
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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December 4, 2024 at 8:49 am
And just in time for Christmas dinner!
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December 4, 2024 at 4:14 am
And of course when they sense danger and fly they recall a certain alternate search engine. “Duck, duck! Go!”
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December 4, 2024 at 8:49 am
LOL! Haha. Good one!
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December 4, 2024 at 5:17 am
I’ve never seen that many ducks together before. Thanks for showing the differences between them. We have Mallards and Widgeons on the Jersey shore, but I didn’t really know what a Widgeon looked like. And I was just about to ask you if you have Brant ducks near you, but I looked them up and they are actually geese. 😉
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December 4, 2024 at 8:52 am
As I read this I was just about to say they are geese, but you’ve already found that out. Yes, in the spring, we get the brant geese stopping here on their way north to nest. These would be the ones from the Pacific Flyway, and I’m guessing you are far enough east that you would get the Atlantic brant, which have a lighter breast.
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December 6, 2024 at 5:46 pm
I just went on the Audubon Field Guide and looked at a bunch of Brant geese and their regions. They are good looking birds!
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December 6, 2024 at 10:09 pm
I love the sound they make.
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December 4, 2024 at 6:45 am
Ducks in a potato field? That’s unusual. Ducks nibbling on potatoes even more unusual! Happy duck day, Anneli!
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December 4, 2024 at 8:53 am
They will eat a variety of vegetable crops but they will also find small invertebrates in the tidal flats when the fields are too frozen for feeding in.
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December 4, 2024 at 7:15 am
That’s quite the gathering of ducks!
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December 4, 2024 at 8:54 am
I think they were having a rally.
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December 4, 2024 at 11:19 am
😊
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December 4, 2024 at 7:46 am
Wow! I’ve never seen so many ducks in one place like this, Anneli! Beautiful photos! ❤️😊
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December 4, 2024 at 8:55 am
I think one found the potatoes and told his friends who told their friends and so on.
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December 4, 2024 at 9:08 am
Taters are delicious! Such a versatile veggie. Is it a veggie? 😧
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December 4, 2024 at 9:37 am
Yes, I would call it a vegetable.
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December 4, 2024 at 11:32 am
Yum!
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December 4, 2024 at 8:08 am
That´s really a field of ducks with some leftover potatoes. The ducks must have been very hungry!
Nice pictures!
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December 4, 2024 at 8:55 am
They were really enjoying their lunch that day.
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December 4, 2024 at 8:31 am
Ha! Love the twist at the end.
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December 4, 2024 at 8:57 am
I was looking for a little picture of a fly to put at the end, but then I thought it would look too disgusting.
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December 4, 2024 at 8:45 am
A delightful choice for “D” 😊
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December 4, 2024 at 8:59 am
Thanks, Belinda. I know you are a friend of the ducks.
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December 4, 2024 at 11:10 am
What a huge crowd of birds! I like birds so much, in spring it feels so great to see all the birds flying back.
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December 4, 2024 at 11:16 am
It sure does.
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December 4, 2024 at 11:20 am
Wow, that’s a lotta ducks and fowl. 😮
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December 4, 2024 at 11:11 pm
Your duck migration is astounding, Anneli! And in a potato field. I’ve seen lots and lots of winter waterfowl migrations, but never this many ducks and never in a potato field. Wonderful.
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December 5, 2024 at 8:52 am
There were a lot of ducks around just then, and this was just one of several fields in the area.
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December 4, 2024 at 11:13 pm
Well, to clarify (above), I’ve seen lots of ducks in migration but not mallards. In California we have mallards year-round.
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December 5, 2024 at 8:53 am
We have wintering flocks of them too, but these may have been on their way down to see you.
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