Actually, it’s Duck Blogging today.
Since one of my mangy Muscovies donated the “feather heard ’round the Capital,” I decided to feature them in this edition.
I’ll start with Cristabell, who is hoping to make 10 more little Muscovies.
Recent Posts
- Day 14: Louisiana Senator Approvingly Compares Trump to Stalin
- Day 13: Elon Musk Flexes His Muscles
- Day 12: While Elon Musk Takes Over, We Podcast With Driftglass and Blue Gal
- Day 11: Harm of Fascist Regime’s Foreign Aid Freeze Comes Into View
- Day 10: The Fascist Regime Blames a Plane Crash on Nonwhite People
Also in procreation mode, is Emmaline. Although she eshued the lovely nest boxes I made in their house, for an old water heating kettle – used to as a flower pot in our garden.
It’s been a bit harder to count her eggs, but there are at least 10, maybe 12.
I’ve accomdated her by putting food and water within reach.
Heckel is on the right. Heckle and Jeckel are a color strain of Muscovy known as a “Magpie Muscovy.”
A pileated woodpecker hanging around our bird feeder. Eventually he got on the feeder but it was swinging too much to get a picture.
Nene, Hawaii’s state bird. We were pretty lucky to see one since there are only about 1,000 – 1,500 in the wild spread out between the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai. This one was on Kauai where the geese are safer because there are no mongoose.
As long as it’s not “Foul Blogging.” Sorry. Couldn’t resist.
Your “Pileated” appears to be a Red-bellied Woodpecker (if you are in the Eastern US or plains states). If you are in West Texas, then it would more likely be a Golden-fronted Woodpecker.
Pileateds look like Woody Woodpecker, with the prominent and pointed crest of red feathers on the top and back of their heads. Also, they’re huge. About the size of a large Raven.
Once, in Oregon, I watched a Pileated punch a whole the size of my fist in a pine tree – in about five minutes. There were wood chips flying every which way. It was quite the display of strength and hard-headedness.
Thanks for the shot of the Nene. I’ve never seen one, and barring a trip to Hawai’i, probably never will.
My best “score” in terms of bird rarities, was seeing three different Whooping Cranes, at a time when there were less than a hundred left. They’re doing a bit better these days, and hopefully will continue to increase in numbers.
You’re right about the pileated, it isn’t one although we do have them here and I didn’t look close enough at the shot.
I was really excited to get the nene shot — it was the only one we saw close up over 14 days. And we only saw two others in addition to that one.
I did find another shot of the same type of (and possibly same) woodpecker on the feeder to compensate for my mistake.
I had a Muscovy once. I lived in a log cabin on 9 A. in Ohio with a nice little pond. A neighbor gave me the antique Muscovy drake. He was all white. Poor thing, his oil glands weren’t working very well any more and as his new coat of feathers aged, he would swim lower and lower in the water until only his neck would stick up and out. Then it would be molting time again and he’d be able to swim on top of the water like any other respectable duck.
He was a gentle old soul. I can’t remember what became of him but that was a different life and many, many years ago.
Actually, and I know this will come as a bit of a surprize – seeing as we call them Muscovy ducks – Muscovy ducks aren’t really ducks.
All other domestic ducks are decended from the wild mallard. From the massive Pekings, to the upright Indian Runners, to the tiny little Call Ducks – all share the mallard as their common progenitor.
OTOH, domestic Muscovies come from very similar looking wild populations found in Cental and South America. Which were domesticated by various native peoples, including the Incas.
Not being a duck, they don’t have the waxy gland that true ducks have, so they are not waterproof and can easily drown. I once found one of my young muscovies in a water trough, swimming furiously to keep her head above water.
They can swim, and will bathe frequently if they have a pond, but they water-log quickly. You’ll never see Muscovies just bobbing on the water (much less sleeping on the water as true ducks will). They get in and bathe, and then get right out again.
So, what you might ask, is a Muscovy? It’s sort of an intermediary between a duck and a goose. One clue it that they don’t quack, but instead they hiss like geese. They perch in trees (which is why they have such long claws), and in the wild they nest in tree hollows. Muscovies can mate with both ducks and geese – but the off-spring are “mules,” which is to say sterile hybreds.
If i have the time, I’ll come back a write about why they are named after Muscovy (now, much of Russia) – the land of Ivan the Terrible.
Wow!! I had no idea! Thanks so much for telling me that. Now it makes sense. At the time I had never heard of a duck that couldn’t float well. I just thought it was old age. I guess I still haven’t heard that of a DUCK!! That is so interesting!
Now when I tell my story of my duck that couldn’t swim until he got a new coat of feathers, I’ll have an even better ending. This tale of mine has been told and retold for 25 years. I can’t believe I’m just now learning the truth of it.
Thank you!
The Muscovy Company existed until 1917. It actually started in 1551, when several boats were purchased by a joint-share group to look for a northern route to China, but ended up landing on the shores of Muscovy (Russia). Later, the Muscovy Company also funded ships to bring back trade goods from Central and South America – which, at some point, included a strange, non-quacking and largish “duck.”
So, now you know. The Muscovy duck is named after the first State chartered Capitalist Corporation!
Double….nah….triple WOW!!!! It just gets better and better. I LOVE knowing the origins of things.
Thank you so much!
Here are SueBee (brown and white) and Rebecca (all white).
Like geese, Muscovies only moult in the Fall (ducks moult Spring and Fall). So, it being Summer downunder, everyone is a bit fadded and raggity.
to the “North Island” (what Tasmanians jokingly call the mainland of Australia), we visited a bird sancturary, where we saw some pretty spectacular parrots.
Like this Turquoise Parrot.
Unfortunately, the Golden-shouldered Parrot was a bit shy.
is a Purple-crowned Lorikeet.
is a Red-winged Parrot.
But who could resist such a cute face? This little fella is a baby Honey-eater.
a welcome substitute for the magnificent Luna. Here I was expecting to admire photos of my old pal, but instead got an education along with some jewels. Thanks Keres – your diaries are always a treat.
I met and fell in love with Muscovies several years ago at a friend’s house in Florida where they gathered at the residential lake in her back yard, at the housing development where she lived. Some of her neighbors hated them, calling them dirty and “trash ducks,” and they resented my friend for feeding them. I thought they were, as someone said above, gentle souls. When we walked outside, they gathered ’round. A couple of them laid and hatched their broods in my friend’s atrium where she made sure they kept safe. When one of the old fellows, my favorite of all of them, had a bad eye growth, she doctored him with homeopathic remedies to which he submitted without protest.
I could look at bird photos all day! Thanks, Keres.