Elvis and His Quackless Buds

I'm always delighted to see my boy Elvis when I go to The Park. His world is pretty small. He swims in the long reflection pool, which is the first thing I walk past when I enter the park. Occasionally he's on the grass just across from it, as he has to eat greens, or on the shallow fountain steps that the water rushes over to pour into the pool. He is there often on hot summer nights, so his legs can be in the cooler water, while he sleeps standing up. The rest of the time he perches on the cement ledges on the sides of the pool, to groom and preen and settle his fat fluffy self down for a rest.

I think I've known Elvis for about 2 1/2 - 3 years now. It's very comforting to see him there each visit, like when you go home for the holidays and see that things haven't changed. Over that time I've seen him hanging with different pals - or should I say they hang with him, because he remains the constant, and the other players shift. For a few months last fall I saw him alone. But recently he's been hanging with two red faced Muscovy's and a teenager whose feathers were mostly irridescent green and black. That teen is now almost fully grown and red faced himself (Elvis is rare in that his facial skin is coal black, just like his pompadour)... and I noticed, as you might below, that it seems like the teen (in the middle, the bird I start the clip with) is the most anxious for food of the four.



Aaah youth. The young green former teen was amusing me to no end as he opened his mouth and did his hoarse whisper in his excitement over food. Muscovy's are actually called quacklesss ducks, as indeed, the only sound they make is the hissing noise you could hear if I weren't babbling incessantly over it while filming. Maybe if you play it back once more you can pick it up.

OK, listening back to this I hope I don't sound like the crazy duck lady or something. I'm a former big city celebrity stylist. I do not wear a bubushka and push around an abandoned grocery cart, with only birds for friends. Just sayin'

What saddened me a little was to see that Elvis seems to have been reduced to the bottom of the pecking order. While the young guy in the middle was most aggressive, the other two red faced ducks were on each side of him, getting their share... while Elvis drifted in the background. He knows I will throw some to him, in fact, I try not to obviously favor him (even though I do). I've seen this hovering behavior from ducks before... one who is interested in food but is not part of the gang I'm feeding. But there you often see the order play out as one or two in the gang will chase the hoverer away once I throw a morsel in his direction, even if there is plenty for all. And it seemed that when I threw to Elvis the young buck wasn't happy about it, and Elvis discreetly swam away a little. It made me wonder if Elvis was getting old, and losing his mojo.

I don't know how long ducks actually live. Wikipedia (which we treat as accurate but technically may not be) says 10-20 years but THIS ARTICLE says 7-8. I have also read 3-4. Certainly in this park, there is more protection than out in the wild, so he should make the higher end of estimates. The great circle of life is evident here, just like it is for us... Muscovy's are a hearty bird and have few health issues so I think he'll be around for a long time. Especially if I have anything to do with it.