A walk along the canal – Cayuga ducks

A few days ago we went for a walk along the canal. I had a compact camera with me ‘just in case’ but wasn’t expecting to see anything but we came across these unusual ducks:

A pair of ducks in the canal, possibly Cayuga

There was just the two of them, I presume they were a breeding pair. I had to look them up and they appear to be Cayuga; a domestic breed that originated in the USA and may be a cross with the Mallard and a North American duck. These days, in this country, they are likely to be bred for meat or just as domestic pets. I do wonder if they are escapees or dumped unwanted pets.

What doesn’t show well in these, heavily cropped, photos is the iridescent colours of the plumage – a beautiful dark green and blue shimmer. Here are a few more shots:

A second view of a pair of ducks in the canal, possibly Cayuga
A pair of ducks in the canal, possibly Cayuga, with a couple of Mallard drakes
A second view of a pair of ducks in the canal, possibly Cayuga, with a couple of Mallard drakes

This shows that it often is worthwhile to have a camera on these walks as you never know what you might see.