Mallard Ducklings

A family of mallard ducks were seen at Gateway Island city park in Murfreesboro.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Seen at the Montgomery Zoo. I assume it's an exhibit but perhaps they just flew in.

From Wikipedia:
The Black-bellied Whistling Duck or Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis), formerly also called Black-bellied Tree Duck, is a whistling duck that breeds from the southernmost United States and tropical Central to south-central South America. In the USA, it can be found year-round in parts of southeast Texas, and seasonally in southeast Arizona, and Louisiana's Gulf Coast. It is a rare breeder in such disparate locations as Florida, Arkansas, Georgia and South Carolina. There is a large population of several hundred that winter each year in Audubon Park in uptown New Orleans, Louisiana. Since it is one of only two whistling-duck species native to North America, it is occasionally just known as the "whistling duck" in the southern USA.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-bellied_Whistling_Duck

Welcome to Ducktown

A Quacking Good Place

Ducktown is a small town in Polk County, TN, in the southeast corner of the state. This sign is seen where highway TN68 meets Main st. It's also the only reference I found to the city's waterfowl namesake.

Post Card Tuesday: Hotel Peabody

The South's Finest - One of America's Best Hotels
Hotel Peabody - Memphis, TN

The Peabody is perhaps the most famous hotel in all of Tennessee, as it's located in the downtown area of Tennessee's largest city.  While it's famous, it may not be famous for being the finest.  Instead, their famous for the Peabody Ducks.  Every day, the Duckmaster - a position which is taken seriously - makes sure the ducks march their way to their rightful place in the fountain at 11 a.m. and then back upstairs at 5 p.m.

Sadly, this isn't a Tennessee tradition I haven't been able to see firsthand yet.  Luckily, my mom was willing to share this photo she took about 15 years ago as they strutted down the red carpet.



The Peabody website has the entire story as well as some fun facts about their noted practice.

New Gallery: Waterfowl in Spring

A couple of months ago, I went to my favorite spot at the lake (specifically, the spot at Old Hickory Lake near the dam) where all the Waterfowl congregate and I put on my website a set called Waterfowl in Winter.

Now, that Spring is upon us, I have gone back to the lake for a continuation of the series.



Extended Gallery: Waterfowl in Spring
seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=nashville%2Fwaterfow...

If you like this photo, or ducks and geese, check it out!

New Extended Gallery: Waterfowl in Winter

A couple of days after a big snow and freeze, when the sun came out I went to Percy Priest Lake by the dam. this has been my favorite place to feed the ducks and is now my favorite place to photograph them. If you like this kind of thing, there's about 50 photos in the new extended gallery.

http://seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=nashville/waterfowl-in-winter

Sample photos:

Red-faced Muscovy Duck

I always think of it as the duck with a superhero mask. Or you could say it looks like a duck that has some sort of disease that puts large red welts on it's face. Either way, it's natural and it's supposed to be there. This one was swimming at the base of Noccalula Falls in Gadsden, Al.