The funniest thing happened at the park today: there was a duck war. How do ducks fight you ask? Well, they stand about half a metre apart, they stretch out their necks a little, fan out their tails as wide as they can and lift their wings about 2 cm off their bodies. Then they start honking at each other like geese. Who was it, you ask? It was Cute Duck and Ducky Wagtail. They knew we were going to feed them and didn't want the other too close & getting all the food. Eventually, Cute Duck, who is a bit smaller, ran off, Ducky Wagtail giving chase. Can you say ducks ran? Well they waddled at top speed. Finally Cute Duck jumped back in the water, and Ducky Wagtail stood honking at him for a couple more minutes. We fed all the ducks, the goose and the swan. The eels didn't get any today.
But the war wasn't over. After he had eaten his fill, Ducky Wagtail went and stood beside the water, because he needs to drink after eating. So Cute Duck and Beauty Duck seize their chance. They put the tips of their beaks in the water and waved it backwards and forwards while quacking. You can't get ruder than that to a duck. But goose spotted them and swam between them and Ducky Wagtail. Littlest Beauty Duck swam around Goose and continued waving its beak in the water, so goose swam around it again to push it away from Ducky Wagtail. Then all was peace.
Goose has done this fight stopping before. It also looks after Swan with its sore foot by standing near it. It is not aggressive. We know, because it and Swan nodded their heads at each other which is duck/goose/swan for "Hello".
The duck in the photo below is an Australasian shoveler! How aobut that? I noticed the beak is very long and broad for such a small duck.
