"Just" a Mallard

I thought this female Mallard was posing nicely on this old, fallen log at Carburn Park on 2 September 2014, and showing the white-bordered, blue “speculum” patch in the wing that both sexes have. It feels good to see "green" because we are still in mid-winter - and it's snowing again today. Can't complain, though, as the last few weeks have been incredibly mild for us, except for the last few days. This morning, the temperature here is -13C (windchill -21C). I really feel for all the people, especially in the east and north east of the US, who have received so much snow in the last few days.

"If someone at a park is feeding bread to ducks, chances are there are Mallards in the fray. Perhaps the most familiar of all ducks, Mallards occur throughout North America and Eurasia in ponds and parks as well as wilder wetlands and estuaries. The male’s gleaming green head, gray flanks, and black tail-curl arguably make it the most easily identified duck. Mallards have long been hunted for the table, and almost all domestic ducks come from this species." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mallard/id