Daily Zoo Animal: #20, Wood Duck

[urbpan]

Wood duck Aix sponsa

I was walking through the wetland exhibit at the Children's Zoo today, and noticed that almost all of the ducks were away from the public viewing area, over by a feeding station. But this one wood duck was closer, and it did something I've never seen a wood duck do before. It swam closer to me. Wood ducks are generally pretty shy of humans, and in the wild you usually see them at a distance, or as they are swimming away. Even when you are feeding the ducks in a city park, the mallards swarm close, and the wood ducks (and buffleheads, and ruddy ducks etc.) stay far away. I pondered this for a minute, and then noticed the vending machine. A quarter buys a few food pellets to feed the duck, and this male wood duck was conditioned to notice when someone approached the machine--he also noticeably reacted when he heard the sound of the vending machine crank.

The wood duck was urban species #015.

On this day in 365 Urban Species: Mexican Free-tailed Bat. If you haven't seen this entry, you have to check it out, if only for the video. For this reason alone, Austin is a great city.

Comments

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Whoa! Mine were only 35 each, but it's a cash bar. I'm lucky; not only is Alexis insane enough to come with me, but Greg is going to be there. Too many of my friends were from different classes or (as in your case) different schools for there to guarantee a group of compatriots attending.

I don't know any of your classmates off the top of my head except for the couple I met--whatsername who lost her retainer on our way to or from the 10,000 maniacs concert, and your boy there with the black tractor paint on his nails.

[barbmg.livejournal.com]

I just booked my plane tickets. I called up the parents of a girl I knew since kindergarten but had lost track of after her wedding 17 years ago and talked her into going with me. (I can't recall you ever meeting her. Her name was Erica and she lived up the street from me.)

Any chance of you driving down to the Pioneer Valley for a day? We could meet in Northampton as well since I'm sure I'll be visiting Kelly and Gavin at some point if they're in town. I'll be up there from Oct 23rd through 28th.