Sorry, I can't enlighten you about those beautiful ducks! I especially like your first photo – they look quite big, and so slim. I hope somebody can identify them.

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I haven't a clue but you got some wonderful pictures! The first picture is so sweet with the pair and I love the iridescent colors. Hopefully someone can identify them.

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I thought looking at the feet might help. I've looked online, and in books, and found pictures of birds where bits of them are similar… my head is spinning!

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They are beautiful – the one with a green head is a mallard.

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I don't know anything about these birds, sadly, except that they are exquisite. As beautiful as gemstones, I think. Thank you.

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I am terrible at identifying birds or ducks…I'm kind of oblivious. My mother used to have books on birds and could identify the ones in our environment.

Thanks for sharing…and good luck identifying them! And thanks for visiting my blog.

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They do, don't they! If you know how often I've stood there watching them, trying to get some photos!

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Isn't it great that you can ask for help with identifying? Hope you find your answer♫ If not, maybe you can claim them as Harding Ducks! Happy week-end♥

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This looks like a Mallard hybrid, possibly crossed with a domestic duck or another duck species. It has the curled tail and yellow beak of a male Mallard plus the iridescent green color in the feathers. Cross breeding is fairly common in ducks, particularly among Mallards. (That's why you didn't see them in a book.)

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I did wonder about the possibility of a hybrid – I once lived on a boat on the Thames, and there were some very strange ducks, the result, so I was told, of cross breeding between mallards and exotic ducks which escaped. But they are so much bigger than mallards that I discounted the idea.

Thank you.

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You were right, I was wrong… apparently they are probably mallard hybrids – crossed, perhaps, with a domestic duck… which accounts for the discrepancies in appearance.

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It's always fascinating to see different birds. I initially thought that these were quite similar to some ducks I saw in Dublin a few years ago, and while the body is similar in colouration (although mine were less green), the ones I saw had black bills. I've always meant to do a post on the birds I saw in Ireland, perhaps I should get around to it sometime. I like Leslie's suggestion about Mallard hybrids.

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Christine,

I'm still just a beginner, and my bird books are all for North America. But I found this website, maybe you know of it already. http://www.rspb.org.uk/ You may get some help there, including contacting them to help ID birds. Thanks for posting these beautiful water birds.

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Arti, thank you for looking, and for the link. I did have a quick look at the RSPB site, but didn't realise I could ask them for help to ID birds. I think Leslie is right about them being mallard hybrids, but I might contact the RSPB as well. The society has a new wetlands site near us, with all kinds of water birds, which I want to visit.

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Good job getting such clear photos of them. It's like an adventure to find a kind of bird you can't identify. Here's Mine

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My knowledge of ducks is limited to the children's classic MLikeLike

Mistake and bad editing on my part – should say 'This one'! But I reckon I could write about a super-duck hero who rescues people in trouble..

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Leslie, at Under My Apple Tree, knows about birds, and thinks they are some kind of mallard cross.

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Eugenia, Leslie, at Under My Apple Tree, thinks they are probably some kind of mallard cross, and the more I look the pictures, the more right thst seems to be. But I am going to contact the RSPB as well- apparently they have a service where they identify birds.

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Thanks for stopping by my blog yesterday. Love to see new commenters. What a intriguing woman your grandmother must have been. You should write a book! Do you still do any journalism? jf

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I wish I knew! I usually just see mallards or Canadian geese around my neighborhood. The geese are usually mean as hell too, although my beagle enjoys chasing them lol.

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It was a pleasure to visit! Intriguing is the right word for my grandmother – she was a lovely, gentle lady, who rarely spoke about her past.

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Mallards and Canada Geese are prolific around here, and the geese are very friendly in the areas where there are lots of visitors. I think they get used to people throwing down bread!

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Alison, any further help would be much appreciated.

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It does seem to be the answer. I know you can get some strange 'cross' ducks, but these are so dark, and so much bigger than a mallard it made me think they must be some rare species! I'm glad the mystery is solved. Thank you.

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