Birbs of Saskatchetoon - Mallard

Like the Common Goldeneye, Mallards are pretty common ducks in Saskatchewan and a few will also overwinter along the river - though not as many as the Common Goldeneye - and I haven't seen very many Mallards this winter. So I was a bit surprised when I spotted a handful the first week of January along the river while heading towards the Gordie Howe Bridge on the Meewasin Trail! 

Can you make them out? They're Mallards. You'll... just have to trust me....

How about this one? Any better? 

There were about a half dozen of them hiding behind the riverside brush. 

Luckily I had a BUNCH of pics I took last summer I could reference!

(and... y'know... books...)

(and... the internet...) 

I do try to keep compositions largely based on my own photos and observations... but I do not have a professional wildlife photographers camera and sometimes things are blurry AF and I'm like "WTF am I even LOOKING at!?" and I'll look at another picture and things will make more sense... 

It's hard in the winter - especially on cold days, like the day I spotted these, where you don't really want to stand around and take piles of pictures or sketches or notes...  and everything is overcast and grey...

Mallard's in the Book

I also did a pair of 20cmx20xm (8'x8") paintings simultaneously... it helps with the waiting for washes and colours to dry. 

(I still rush and wreck things, though... Maybe I need to have a DOZEN of each on the go!?) 

Pair of Mallards 

20cmx20xm (8'x8"), Ink on Watercolour Paper 

A Fabulous Pair of Mallard Dudes

20cmx20xm (8'x8"), Ink on Watercolour Paper 

A few of those other pics I took last year... 

I made them small for the internet and to not clog up my blogger albums.

some, with the original FULL SIZE version I was able to zoom in on details and they were very helpful. 

Next: ROCK DOVES!