I always enjoy spending a few hours at our local parks, watching all the seasonal water fowl. Some species are there all summer long and others come for a short time in early spring or fall before moving on.

Mallards are one species that tends to stay there all summer. They are one of the more common species of duck and there is a hunting season for mallards later on in the year. While I have no problem with eating roast duck, I am glad that the wildlife in this particular park is protected and I can go there for fun photography sessions anytime I want without disturbing nature's natural wonders.

I had tried for weeks to get close enough to these mallards to take good pictures. They would be casually dabbling out in the pond but as soon as they'd see movement, they would scurry off into the cattails. Not much luck there.

One morning I grabbed my camera and decided this was the day I would get pictures of the mallards. I headed out early for the park so I could get there before it got too bright. About an hour and 25 mosquito bites later, I finally decided to call it a day.

And guess what! I actually had a nice amount of pictures. All that time sitting in the tall grass( while the mosquitos drank all my blood) turned out to be worth it.

I especially enjoyed observing the sleek male as he preened himself, and carefully arranged each feather "just so." It looked like he was preparing himself to go out on a fancy date with the two females that were with him.

Once the preening session was over I watched them slide into to water. The lighting was perfect and those bright shiny colors on the male were in their finest sheen. I quickly zeroed in him to get some good shots and well...

...he got an itch. Just as the camera clicked. But whatever. If it itches you gotta scratch. Even if you're a duck! So no fowl play involved here...just a duck with an itch. That's all. It kinda quacked me up though.

Isn't this just ducky?! I mean, I'm no duck-tective but I sure am glad I discovered this trio. They didn't even charge me anything. He said to put it on his bill. And I do duck-lare, that was quite generous of him!