Spring is in the air! The other day as I was out for a walk, I noticed the traffic stopping, with no real reason that I could see – until I came around the front pickup.
A group of ducks were doing it in the middle of the road. (The Beatles live!) You can click on this picture to make it bigger. Check out the priceless look on the dog’s face.
More ducks came running across the street to join the orgy. The waiting cars piled up, with some drivers at the back of the line growing impatient.
I couldn’t help laughing out loud. I can hear the radio traffic announcement now: “Sebastopol: slight holdup on Pleasant Hill Road due to duck sex.”
When the folks in the hindmost car realized what the holdup was, they started laughing too. The weather was warm enough that their windows were down, and our laughter rang out all down the street. Some cars honked, but those ducks weren’t about to budge until their business was done.
Laughter now; baby ducklings in future. This little delay in traffic flow was a good moment.
I think ducks are living proof that Creator has a sense of humor. What a strange critter they are…I love ‘em!
According to naturalists, female ducks put up with a lot of sexual harrassment. It’s possible that most of the ducks that day were males, with a minority of females (possibly just one) contending with a whole bunch of males, and the reason she’s in the street was an attempt to evade all those males. Female duck genitalia is apparently quite complex internally for such situations, as the Atlantic Wire reports:
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/04/another-chapter-kinky-duck-sex-chronicles-beaks-warn-stds/36626/
Thank you for sharing. That is very interesting about the labyrinthine vagina and how the lighter beaks in mallards signify stronger bacteria-eating sperm.
I have indeed observed terrible incidents of duck rape every spring, with a female’s neck feathers torn off and skin lacerated from being held down by multiple males trying to mount her all at once. As this often takes place in the water, sometimes the males even accidentally drown them. It’s a pretty gruesome way to get cute baby ducklings.
You always remind me of good things that will happen to me and you always warn me of bad things that might happen to me.