{"id":7927,"date":"2010-11-02T14:21:28","date_gmt":"2010-11-02T21:21:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/?p=7927"},"modified":"2010-11-02T14:21:28","modified_gmt":"2010-11-02T21:21:28","slug":"mallards-and-crows-feeding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/?p=7927","title":{"rendered":"Crow on the Outside, Looking In"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There&#8217;s a wetlands pond not far away, with a group of friendly, habituated Mallards . . . and a small contingent of alert, migrating ducks (this week: Wigeons) who keep to themselves in the shade of the reeds, as far from humans as possible.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7929\" style=\"width: 760px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/wigeonnap.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7929\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7929\" title=\"Wigeon Nap\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/wigeonnap.jpg\" alt=\"American Wigeons sleeping\" width=\"750\" height=\"484\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7929\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">American Wigeon Nap - \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The Mallards approach any new human. The possibility of food from neighborhood locals is too great for them not to exploit it. When someone does arrive with snacks, mayhem ensues in the bird world. Gulls send the word, crows swoop in, and the Mallards are in chaos.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s probably no surprise that I love photographing Mallards, since I obviously have a weakness for the unsung and common birds: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/2010\/10\/pigeon-over-seattle\/\">pigeons<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/2010\/10\/the-art-of-gull-feet\/\">gulls<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/2010\/05\/the-ravens-of-ocean-beach\/\">crows and corvids<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/2010\/10\/starling-in-seattle\/\">starlings<\/a>. Their commoness belies their complex coloration and eclectic behavior that, although not exotic, is fascinating to watch &#8212; especially since they often live in our midst, in urban centers.<\/p>\n<p>The American Crow in this series (<em>Corvus brachyrhynchos<\/em>) settled on a perch above the pond, looking for a way into the mess for some leftovers. He watched the scene like a Wimbledon spectator &#8212; swiveling left, right, left, right. Then, a person strolled too close with a camera and he spooked into a nearby tree. Game over.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7930\" style=\"width: 760px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckmelee.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7930\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7930\" title=\"Mallard Melee\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckmelee.jpg\" alt=\"Mallards chasing food\" width=\"750\" height=\"560\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7930\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mallard Melee - \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_7931\" style=\"width: 760px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/crowleft.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7931\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7931\" title=\"Crow Perch\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/crowleft.jpg\" alt=\"American Crow Perched on Seattle Pond\" width=\"750\" height=\"560\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7931\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pond Perch - \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_7932\" style=\"width: 570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/crowlook.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7932\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7932\" title=\"Crow Assessment\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/crowlook.jpg\" alt=\"American Crow Perched on Branch\" width=\"560\" height=\"750\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7932\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crow Assessment - \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_7933\" style=\"width: 760px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckchase.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7933\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7933\" title=\"Duck Chase\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckchase.jpg\" alt=\"Mallards drakes chasing female\" width=\"750\" height=\"550\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7933\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Chaos Below - \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_7934\" style=\"width: 760px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckrush.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7934\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7934\" title=\"Duck Chase\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckrush.jpg\" alt=\"Mallards swimming\" width=\"750\" height=\"560\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7934\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Duck Chase - \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_7956\" style=\"width: 760px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckbite860.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7956\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7956\" title=\"Mallard Scuffle\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckbite860.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"560\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7956\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Scuffle - \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_7935\" style=\"width: 760px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/crowflight2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7935\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7935\" title=\"Crow Flight\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/crowflight2.jpg\" alt=\"Crow in Flight\" width=\"750\" height=\"560\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7935\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spooked - \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_7936\" style=\"width: 570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/crowtree.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7936\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7936\" title=\"Safe Tree\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/crowtree.jpg\" alt=\"American Crow in Evergreen Tree\" width=\"560\" height=\"750\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7936\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Safe Tree - \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_7937\" style=\"width: 760px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckblue.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7937\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7937\" title=\"Duck Blue\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckblue.jpg\" alt=\"Mallard Drake preening\" width=\"750\" height=\"560\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7937\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Post-Meal Preen - \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_7938\" style=\"width: 760px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckpostmeal.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7938\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7938\" title=\"Female Mallard\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/duckpostmeal.jpg\" alt=\"Female Mallard preening\" width=\"750\" height=\"560\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7938\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Calm Before the Next Storm - \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There&#8217;s a wetlands pond not far away, with a group of friendly, habituated Mallards . . . and a small contingent of alert, migrating ducks (this week: Wigeons) who keep to themselves in the shade of the reeds, as far from humans as possible. The Mallards approach any new human. The possibility of food from neighborhood locals is too great for them not to exploit it. When someone does arrive with snacks, mayhem ensues in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/?p=7927\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,1],"tags":[84,505],"class_list":["post-7927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-birds","category-uncategorized","tag-ducks","tag-mallards"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7927\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}