Ducks on a California Lake

While visiting San Diego recently, I went to the Santee Lakes Regional Park, a winter wonderland of ducks in the heart of a residential neighborhood. It seemed to be filled with “dabbling” ducks, that is, ones that feed by tipping (bottoms up) to reach aquatic plants and animals below the surface.

Gadwalls, bottoms up.
Mallard, bottoms up
Cinnamon Teals
Cinnamon Teals
Male Cinnamon Teal
Female Cinnamon Teal
American Wigeon, female
Domestic Ducks
Mallard pair
Mallard pair
Mallard male
Mallard male
Mallard female
Gadwall pair
Gadwall pair
Gadwalls feeding
Gadwall male
Gadwall male
Gadwall closeup
Canada Goose, a dabbler
Ring-necked Duck
Ring-necked duck pair
Ring-necked Duck
Ring-necked duck pair
Northern Shoveller
Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler, grooming
Northern Shoveller
Wood Duck pair

There were plenty of Ruddy Ducks on the lakes, but unlike the others, they do not dabble. Instead, this small bird dives for food, disappearing inconveniently just as you focus to take a photograph.

Despite all the ducks, the most abundant birds on the lakes are not ducks at all, but American Coots, also called “mudhens.”

Here’s another duck-like bird, a female Pied-billed Grebe. She swam amidst the coots, diving underwater to feed.

Santee Lakes Park attracts plenty of other large waterbirds, like these impressive Great White Pelicans.


Despite their obvious differences, waterbirds manage to coexist in peace.


Here are a couple of my related posts about ducks:

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