A Walk Through Ballard Park

My previous two posts regarded some of the ducks found at Ballard Park in Tupelo, MS- the Crested Duck and the Muscovy Duck.  Ballard Park is also host to another duck- the domestic Mallard. Other birds, like the Barn Swallow, are commonly seen at the park as well. 

Ballard Park includes a 3 acre lake, 1 amphitheater, 2 pavilions, 1 stage, 3 restroom facilities, skate park, disc golf course, 2 playgrounds, 1.3 mile trail, life trail system, .25 mile track, 1 maintenance building, 20 picnic tables, 2 sand volleyball courts, Oren Dunn Museum, Parks and Recreation Administrative Office, 16 lighted multi-purpose fields, and 1 athletic operation center.  Yes, it's a fairly good sized park, but I only visited a portion of it- the portion which included the lake.  

Hubby and I first entered the west side of the park, which includes a playground area for children.  The first critters we saw scurrying about were some busy squirrels.  Since it was still early morning, they were full of energy.  I watched them chase each other around tree trunks then up and down limbs in the tree tops.   

There were several Muscovy ducks near the picnic tables at the edge of the lake.  As a matter of fact, a couple of them were quite comfortable as they sat and walked along the picnic tables.  I posted photos of them in my previous post here.  

As we approached the south end of the lake, Hubby and I observed a small group of female domestic Mallard ducks.  I love the color and pattern of their feathers, especially the young female.  They stood quietly as we walked near and I snapped a few shots of them.  They're accustomed to public attention and probably expected a handful of duck feed in return for the photo favors ;)

The east side of the lake was prettier, with more shade trees and walking paths.  One of the paths led to a shady area where several ducks rested and a Graylag goose stood quietly near them.  The goose watched us closely as we slowly walked by.  I stopped briefly to capture a few stills and I thought of how peaceful it seemed in this little spot, away from the main path.  It would be a nice place to lay out a blanket and read a good book...or take a quiet nap.  

Around the next bend in the walking path was another group of Muscovy ducks.  This was a rather large group of black and white Muscovies which briefly entertained me with their strange head bobbing behavior. There were a couple of mating pairs in this group and they didn't mind our presence a bit.  

As we approached the gazebo at the edge of the lake, I spotted something moving inside it. Upon closer observation, the moving object proved to be a Barn Swallow- not one, but two of them, flying around their nest which was located under the gazebo's wooden eave.  I had never seen Barn Swallows before, so it was a pretty exciting moment for me!  I oohhhhed and awwwed as I captured a couple shots of them before they flew away.   It wasn't the best circumstances for good photos because of the shade and location of the nest under the eave.  The swallows perched upon nails which extended from the wood frame near their nest, how convenient!  

Just beyond the gazebo, another, yet small group of ducks were hanging out near the edge of the lake.  It was in this group that I spotted the Crested duck.  I posted photos of it two days ago- they can be seen here.  It appears the first duck in the photo below has a small, incomplete crest (the crest sizes vary with these ducks).  

Close to the southeastern portion of the walking trail, I stalled a few moments to admire the beautiful plumage of this domestic Mallard.  The sunlight perfectly illuminated his emerald green headgear.  This was one of only a few male domestic Mallards that were observed in the park that day- they were definitely outnumbered by females.  

My hubby grabbed my attention and told me to look under the small covered walkway crossing the lake, just south of where we stood.  Following his direction, I then saw at least a dozen Barn Swallows perched along the edge of a horizontal wooden beam, near the inside top of the cover.  Wow!  I thought.  Now that would make a great photo!  

Unfortunately, as I eased toward the covered walkway, the swallows flew away.  I waited several minutes for their return, but it didn't happen.  Disappointment settled in for a fleeting moment.  I could see tiny pieces of their nests over the top of the wooden beam...apparently there were several swallow nests there.  I had no idea that birds would nest so close together.  

While I waited for the return of the swallows, I watched a pair of House Sparrows peck on particles in the grass and hop along the concrete walkway, looking for food.  The male sparrow grabbed a white feather then flew off... he probably tucked the feather into a nest shared with his mate.  

My hubby pointed out the small fish on the waters edge so I took a look.  There were literally scores of fish in the murky water near the bank.  I don't know much about fish, but he and my son said these are goggle eye bream...so for now I am taking their word for it.  I can bet that they've made good snacks for several local birds.  

A pretty brown and white domestic duck lay in the grass just on the other side of the covered walkway. After a few photos, the duck grew tired of my presence and took off into the water.  Even better...I snapped a few photos of him paddling around and preening in the lake water.  

I was happy with our little adventure through Ballard Park.  I was given the opportunity to see and photograph birds new to me- the Crested duck, the Muscovy ducks, a Graylag goose, Barn Swallows, and House Sparrows.  Pretty productive for slightly over an hour of my time ;)

Muscovy Ducks

Among the most numerous ducks at Ballard Park in Tupelo are the Muscovy ducks. These large ducks are common in urban parks, lakes, streams, zoos and farms because people often feed them at these sites. Muscovies are large ducks with long, flattened tails and large claws, in comparison to other ducks.  Males, or drakes, often appear brighter and their black feathers reflect a purplish tint, whereas females are more drab in appearance.  The presence of fleshy red caruncles, or warty bumps, on the face are more prominent in the males.  Additionally, the male Muscovies are somewhat larger than the females.  Muscovies sound different than other ducks because, rather than calling with a "quack", the male's call is a loud, dry hiss and the female's is a quiet coo.

Muscovies are native to the tropical climates of Central and South America, Mexico, and extreme southern Texas in the United States, but they can also tolerate colder temperatures.  They were intentionally released in the United States by private individuals, businesses, and governmental organizations as an ornamental species believed to enhance the aesthetic appeal of urban parks and lakes.  

However, Muscovy populations expand rapidly in urban areas, often becoming a nuisance. These large ducks are sometimes aggressive, especially when accustomed to being fed, and may chase or attempt to bite children. The excessive droppings not only decrease the aesthetic value of parks and lakes, but also contaminate water, presenting a significant hazard to the health of humans and their pets.  

Muscovy hens can produce up to three clutches a year.  The mother duck will keep her brood of ducklings together to protect them from predators. The eggs and ducklings are preyed upon by raccoons, large turtles, birds of prey, large fish and snakes. Ducklings can fly within 5 - 8 weeks. Their feathers develop very fast.

This species, like the Mallard, does not form stable pairs. Popular males are often seen with up to four females - potentially the entire female population in the group; while the remaining males "hang out" in bachelor groups. However, the female may also mate with other males.  Males will fight other males for social status and for the right to breed with a female.  They can become very aggressive; they will head bob, raise their crests, bite, and pinch, flog, and literally jump on each other’s backs to attack.

Muscovy ducks will eat insects, roots, stems, leaves, seeds, fishes, reptiles, and small mammals.  They do not swim as much as other ducks because their oil glands are not as well developed.  This results their feathers fraying more.  They are very intelligent and will wag their tails and raise their crests when talked to.

Some breeders and people that keep Muscovies as pets have a different opinion of these ducks.  They report the ducks have wonderful personalities, are most often quiet, are great foragers and insect hunters and the females make excellent mothers.  The Muscovies I observed as I walked through the park were quiet for the most part.  During one instance, I observed a group of them head bobbing at each other...really strange behavior.  Many of them seemed to ignore me and even allowed me to get close enough for some good shots.  If I had known about their potentially aggressive behavior, I may have been more cautious, but then I would have missed some good shots!  

Information gathered from birdinginformation.com, muscovyduckcentral.com, beautyofbirds.com and the University of Florida IFAS Extension.

Crested Duck

During a recent visit to Ballard Park in Tupelo, MS, I took several photos of ducks- mallards, muscovies and this one crested duck.  I had never seen a crested duck before, nor knew they existed, so I was surprised to see this duck with the poufy hair-do.   It was quite interesting to me- the duck appeared to have just stepped out of a hair salon with its fancy coif.  Albeit cute and different, I wondered if the unusual head feathers were caused by some type of deformity.

A brief online search informed me that this is a crested duck, a descendant of the domestic mallard.  The crest is actually caused by a genetic mutation which causes a duck to be born with a gap in its skull.  The gap is filled with a growth of fatty tissue, and it is from this growth that the pouf of feathers sprout.  

The crested gene in these ducks is linked to a lethal condition during incubation. Ducklings carrying both genes (homozygous) for the crest do not survive to hatch.  Of those that do hatch, about 1/3 of them will not have crests.  Crested ducks come in a variety of breeds and colors, and the crest size can range from skimpy to a full exhibition size.  The only two crested breeds of ducks that are recognized by the APA are the White Crested Duck and the Black Crested.

This is my first post for the "Wild Bird Wednesday" meme, hosted by Stewart at Paying Ready Attention- Photo Gallery.  

Million Bells & Petunias

Through trial and error, my thumb has become a few shades greener over the years.  At least I don't kill all my plants now- only an occasional one that becomes intolerable of our intensive summer heat.  I purchased a couple this year with tags that stated "heat and/or drought tolerant" and they already appear to have suffered a heat stroke!  And it's still early July!  You can bet I'm taking notes so I'll know which ones to avoid for next summer.  

Some of my favorites so far this year have been the Million Bells, or Calibrachoa, and Petunias. They are thriving, even after being in my care for a couple of months now!  :) These plants were small when purchased, and now they are spilling out of the containers and trailing down the sides.  The colorful beauties make a welcoming addition to our front entrance and several visitors have complimented them. Million Bells, which resemble small petunias, come in several colors- violet, blue, pink, red, magenta, yellow, bronze and white.  They look great arranged in groups of a single color or blended using 2 or 3 shades together. The bumble bees certainly enjoyed them during early spring.  

The Petunias that I planted in late April grew super fast- the photos below were shot six weeks apart. Petunias are pretty, low maintenance and tolerate the heat fairly well...definitely my type of bloom :)  

When I saw this hanging basket of purple flowers with lime green borders in the garden center, I knew it would be coming home with me.  I knew the flowers were Petunias, but I had never seen this species before. I loved the color combination and the prolific blooms!  About 3 feet in diameter when I purchased it, the plant covered much of my trunk space.

A brief research online informed me that they are Pretty Much Picasso Supertunia, a vigorous growing Petunia hybrid which trails up to 3 feet.  In only two months, the blooms had already trailed just over 3 feet from the center- a beautiful plant which sits so perfectly on the wooden rail of our front porch!

It's a little too early to add these lovely plants to my "I Survived Summer With Susan" list, but it's looking hopeful ;)  We'll see if they continue to thrive through the blazing heat of August...