Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: beet1e on March 12, 2005, 01:18:40 PM
-
During the winter months, a popular Sunday afternoon activity is to go to one of the many rivers around here to feed the ducks. In the summer months they are not interested because they feed on weed off the river bed. But in the winter months they are highly appreciative of bread fed to them from the river bank.
One time, I saw the strangest duck I've ever seen - see the pic. I had never seen one before, but later found out that it was a Mandarin duck. I was convinced that it was a kid's toy that had been floated on the river, and stood there looking for the string - until the duck moved its wings and head. :lol
Does this breed of duck exist in America? Is it rare?
(Photo reduced in size to fit frame)
(http://www.zen33071.zen.co.uk/mandarin.jpg)
-
The Mandarin is actually an Asian duck. They were probably brought to the UK somehow. I doubt they flew that far.
We have a cousin of the Mandarin here, called the Wood Duck. It's native to North America. I can attest that it tastes pretty good, too.
As indicated in their physical and behavioral simlarities, the wood duck and mandarin are close relatives. They are the only members of the genus Aix and belong to the perching duck tribe Cairinini. They have rather sharp, long claws enabling them to live effectively in a forest environment and climb on and nest inside tree cavities.
Mandarin:
(http://www.chinatibettravel.net/cnbirds/birdsphoto/Mandarin%20Duck.jpg)
Woodie:
(http://www.nrac.wvu.edu/rm493-591/fall2000/students/sacilotto/Wood%20Duck.jpg)
-
It's tasty too.
Edit: damn Toad beat me to it :)
-
All of the mandarin ducks that I've seen have been more crispy and had less feathers. Definitely not as colorful either!
-
We keep Carolina Wood Ducks. They're cool. One of the species that the DFFE now classifies as being wild in the UK along with the mandarin and a few others.
Gatso
-
Hey, SOB..... you know any Chinese places up there that do a good Peking Mandarin duck?
I'd fly up to try that!
-
What toad said. We do have wood ducks all over though. I took this last week:
(http://www.fatdrunkbastards.com/FDB/forum/uploads/MiniD/14345_2005-03-07-1500-128-800.jpg)
-
why does that look almost exactly like a pic you posted awhile back MiniD?
-
It's at the same place:
(http://www.fatdrunkbastards.com/FDB/forum/uploads/MiniD/FA897_2005-01-10-1200-096-800.jpg)
(http://www.fatdrunkbastards.com/FDB/forum/uploads/MiniD/F2AA1_2005-03-07-1500-122-800.jpg)
-
Originally posted by Toad
Hey, SOB..... you know any Chinese places up there that do a good Peking Mandarin duck?
I'd fly up to try that!
Nah, unfortunately no. I've only had it once, and it was quite a while ago...was at a place in Chinatown in Portland, but I don't know which. And it was good, but since that was the only time I had it, I don't know how it was compared to other places.
-
Mini D, you got those photos at the Rhododendron Garden?
-
The first and only time I had duck was and will be the last.
It was a real nice French restaurant and everything, but the duck was basically in the shape of a duck, and just flipped over on its back.
It was the first time I ordered meat which actually looked like something.
shreck no, that was disgusting. Meat shapes from here on out.
-
You must love Chicken McNuggets. ;)
-
Originally posted by bunch
Mini D, you got those photos at the Rhododendron Garden?
Yeppers. On the bridge facing back towards the reeds. Most of the kinglet and stellar's jay photos I have are also from the Rhododendron Gardens.
-
It's fun feeding the birds! A lot of people are afraid of swans, but they're not aggressive. I let them take the bread from my hand. The more mature birds take it gracefully, the younger ones tend to grab - and that beak has a "hacksaw edge" which has been known to break a layer or two of skin!
This adult swan is not one of the Queen's swans, as she has been tagged - I think it's a female - miniD?
(http://www.zen33071.zen.co.uk/swans1.jpg)
-
Wow, the water looks amazing in those pics Mini took
-
Originally posted by beet1e
Does this breed of duck exist in America? Is it rare?
It's not native to North America but I actually saw one in the wild in Southern Oregon about three years ago. No idea how it got there.
-
I am an avid waterfowler. I belong to many waterfowl related websites. Yes, there are Mandarins in the USA. Many are kept in aviaries.
There is also a breeding colony in the western USA that is wild.
We had two at our local park that were there for a few years. I have not seen them in some time. They may have died off or were sent some where else. A very regal duck.
-
I tried to set up a fast food joint which offered freshly cooked Peking duck while they waited.
I went bankrupt in a week. Don't people like duck or what?
-
A lot of people are afraid of swans, but they're not aggressive.
Ummm ... I lived on a salt pond in Rhode Island for a couple of years and from first hand experience I can confidently say that they are aggressive. I had to always keep a vigile eye out for them when my son played out in the yard.
The swans that you see probably have a lot of exposure to people, hence thier docile somewhat trusting nature. Try and walk up on them when they have their little ones around. You will see a different side to their demeanor. The swans on my salt pond had very limited exposure to people and they appeared to me to be very territorial.
They are beautiful, but dangerous to kids and small to medium size dogs.
-
Hey slapshot, I think you're right. The swans along the Thames are used to people, and know the drill. You only have to stand on the bank and they'll swim over, expecting to be fed. I was once told that a swan can break a man's leg with a blow from its wing. Maybe I'll post a film of swan feeding. I know you always enjoy my films. ;)
-
I'm not really up on swans as I haven't seen any here. We get some massive migrations towards the coast, but I haven't been out there this winter.
The main agressive bird down here is the Canada Goose. They're a bit tame places, but you inevitably see one going after someone that pushed the wrong button. Last week I saw this idiot think it would be cool to try to catch one of the honkers. Some people asked him to stop. I was actually hoping he succeeded. You can't get much more of a reality check than having your bellybutton kicked by a goose.
-
I've been attacked by both geese and swans. Actually the swan attacked my 3 year old boy that went too close to him. I had to pull him away before the bird got him.
-
Originally posted by Mini D
I'm not really up on swans as I haven't seen any here. We get some massive migrations towards the coast, but I haven't been out there this winter.
The main agressive bird down here is the Canada Goose. They're a bit tame places, but you inevitably see one going after someone that pushed the wrong button. Last week I saw this idiot think it would be cool to try to catch one of the honkers. Some people asked him to stop. I was actually hoping he succeeded. You can't get much more of a reality check than having your bellybutton kicked by a goose.
They are bad ass. I worked for a Vet that had 4 of them (some kind of goose) and they pretty much stuck around the property. God forbid if another dog wandered into the yard. Head down low to the ground ... and a dead sprint to the target ... and they can accelerate like mad. Saw many a dog running for his life with 4 geese hot on his tail.
Check 6 ... HONK !!!!
-
Originally posted by Toad
Hey, SOB..... you know any Chinese places up there that do a good Peking Mandarin duck?
I'd fly up to try that!
Toad, the best Chinese food this side of Bejing is The Mandarin at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.
It's pretty spendy, but it's the best.
-
Been to the Wharf a bunch. Never even thought of Chinese, always went for Seafood. We hit Chinatown for Chinese.
If I ever get out there again, I'll look for it though. I've had PD a lot in NYC's Chinatown; good stuff.
-
MiniDork, you may be gay because you take bird pictures, but you do take some real nice photos. But you're still gay, they're just amazing quality because you excel at your gay bird photo taking.
-SW
-
I'm not a very good photographer, at least not in any sense that makes my stuff "art". I don't have an eye for composition and would totally suck doing anything in regards to scenery or composed shots. Taking pictures of birds is like taking pictures of nekkid women: They do all the work, you just have to be in the right place at the right time.
-
I saw some Cedar Waxwings today. Amazingly smooth looking birds, must have an excellent glide ratio.