There is a bison carcass in Hayden Valley near Trout Creek that has attracted the Canyon wolves and at least 5 different grizzly bears. While it is interesting to watch the interactions between the various predators, especially as there has been lots of sharing and very little fighting, they are too far out for photos. But we have been hanging around the area hoping to photograph wolves and bears coming and going.
When I get tired of that I have been filming the ducks in Trout Creek. There are a few female ducks with really small babies. I have been telling them they have to hurry and grow as fall is coming but I don’t think they are listening.
Some of the ducks are full grown and difficult to differentiate from their mother. There is a group of 9 mallards. I know one must be the mom but I am having a hard time figuring out which one she is.
I have been working on a movie on Yellowstone cutthroat trout and all of the animals that eat them. I know there are several species of ducks that eat fish, including cutthroat in Yellowstone, but never realized mallard ducks ate fish. But they do and I have the proof. While I was filming them a bunch of the mallards started chasing one duck. I think it was Mom, but I am not sure. I then realized the duck being chased had a decent sized fish in its mouth and everyone wanted it.
At one point it was a tug of war between 2 of the ducks, but the original owner of the fish got it back. The fish was too large for the duck to swallow so it repeatedly shook the fish until a piece of it broke off in the duck’s mouth and the rest fell into the creek. I didn’t count but that had to of happened at least 15 times. Every single time it happened the other ducks went after the fish and every single time the fishes original owner recaught the fish.
At one point it was a tug of war between 2 of the ducks, but the original owner of the fish got it back. The fish was too large for the duck to swallow so it repeatedly shook the fish until a piece of it broke off in the duck’s mouth and the rest fell into the creek. I didn’t count but that had to of happened at least 15 times. Every single time it happened the other ducks went after the fish and every single time the fishes original owner recaught the fish.
Finally the fish was small enough to be swallowed by its original owner and everyone settled down for a nap.
Nice story!
We have lots of mallard ducks here but I didn’t know they eat fish as well.
My mum feeds them in winter while she’s out walking our dog. Whenever the ducks see my dog, they follow him and whoever is taking him for a walk because they know ‘he’ is bringing in food.
I must admit I sometimes feel like the Pied Piper 🙂