Migratory – MAGcos

Northern Shovelers were not the only ducks that were avoiding us. There were also the ring-necked ducks. Ring-necks are diving ducks. They are distinguished from their relatives by a white ring on the bill and the nearly invisible cinnamon neck ring, in which it got its name. Ring-necks are quite shy and never come for bread. This is because they are diving ducks and dive for their food; aquatic plants and aquatic insects.

Another reason they are shy is because they are a very common sport duck and are also hunted for food. Apparently Beaker’s camera looked like a gun. Like the shovelers, they avoided us and swam to the opposite side we were on. We had a plan. Beaker would hide on one of the sides and the rest of us would drive the ducks to him.

We yelled and jumped. We accidentally woke up a turtle. Even the used-to-people Muscovy Duck got annoyed and swam away. Of course it worked on the shy, ring-necked ducks. Beaker got good pictures that were nice and close up but I bet you still can’t see their hidden neck ring.

We got out of the car and decided to take pictures of the two other ducks at the pond we hand not yet got close to. Among them were Northern Shovelers. Northern Shovelers are medium-sized ducks with a green head, rusty underside and very distinctive shovel-like bills. Usually they are found in groups of 5-10, males and females, coming on land and wanting bread. But his time there were only two males on the other side of the pond. So we walked to the other side of the pond.

When we got there it appeared that the shovelers were on the other side of the pond now. Perhaps our eyes were deceiving us. But when we went to the other side, they again were on the opposite side. We walked to where they were a little faster this time. But they swam a little faster and where once again on the other side. This went on once more.

We devised a plan. Hawkeye, Snowfeather and I would go where the ducks were and distract them while Beaker got pictures. It worked. We jumped, yelled and acted like crazy people and drove those ducks straight to an ambush – where Beaker and his camera lied in wait.