{"id":46661,"date":"2017-05-08T06:14:19","date_gmt":"2017-05-08T12:14:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=46661"},"modified":"2025-02-16T04:32:33","modified_gmt":"2025-02-16T10:32:33","slug":"mallard-ducklings-signs-of-spring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/05\/08\/mallard-ducklings-signs-of-spring\/","title":{"rendered":"Mallard Ducklings – Signs of Spring"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MallardMallard hen with her ducklings – Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

“I am thankful that in a troubled world no calamity can prevent the return of spring<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

~ Helen Keller<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spring is a time for renewal, the grasses begin to grow and green up, flowers bloom, young animals are born and the birds I love so much nest and their chicks hatch. I haven’t seen many chicks yet this spring but yesterday I saw a Mallard hen with her ducklings swimming behind her on a local pond and I had to aim my lens at them.<\/p>\n

Mallards are common throughout North America and some people even think of them as pests because there are so many of them but I try not to take them or any other bird for granted.<\/p>\n

\"MallardMallard hen with ducklings – Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I counted ten ducklings behind this Mallard hen so a few of them are hidden behind her in both of these photos. The first two weeks of their lives are when the ducklings are the most vulnerable to predation so the hens keep them close which is probably why this Mallard hen was keeping an eye on me.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Mallard photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I haven’t seen many chicks yet this spring but yesterday I saw a Mallard hen with her ducklings swimming behind her on a local pond and I had to aim my lens at them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,965,709,26],"tags":[4004,4237,4068,4717,1129,4414,126,5861,1604,165,1283,3996],"class_list":["post-46661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-mallards","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-anas-platyrhynchos","tag-chicks","tag-dabbling-ducks","tag-duck","tag-ducklings","tag-ducks-2","tag-helen-keller","tag-mallard","tag-spring","tag-swimming","tag-water"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mallard-ducklings-mia-mcpherson-1633.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-c8B","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":40219,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/06\/28\/mallard-hen-with-duckling-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":46661,"position":0},"title":"Mallard Hen with Duckling at Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Because I was close I wasn't able to get a single image with all of the ducklings and the hen in the frame so I focused on the Mallard hen and with one duckling resting right behind her.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mallard hen with duckling, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah, Box Elder County, 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experience that when I post Mallard photos and write about them here on my site that they don't seem to get as many views as other birds do.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mallard ducklings lined up on a log, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mallard-ducklings-log-creek-mia-mcpherson-7391.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mallard-ducklings-log-creek-mia-mcpherson-7391.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mallard-ducklings-log-creek-mia-mcpherson-7391.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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wrong I don't mind being corrected, I do have trouble with female duck ID at times and I appreciate all the help I can get with them.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mallard and ducklings, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mallard-and-ducklings-mia-mcpherson-8637.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mallard-and-ducklings-mia-mcpherson-8637.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mallard-and-ducklings-mia-mcpherson-8637.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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McPherson","date":"June 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning I am sharing photos of Mallard ducklings and blooming White Water Crowfoot taken in a creek high in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mallard duckling swimming in White Water Crowfoot, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/mallard-duckling-white-water-crowfoot-mia-mcpherson-2003.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/mallard-duckling-white-water-crowfoot-mia-mcpherson-2003.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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