Gadwall 2

 Four of a group of six Gadwall (Anas strepera)

I returned to Las Martelas this morning to try and improve on the quality of yesterday's images. The flock of six Gadwall (Anas strepera) was still cruising around in the main irrigation pond, apparently picking insects from the surface. The birds were rather cautious and stayed on the far side of the pond most of the time, possibly wary of two men working on the roof of a nearby greenhouse.

Occasionally, the ducks engaged in wing-stretching exercises and short flights...

Above and below, all six individuals can be seen.

As a curiosity, the last shot below shows the entire flock packed into a ball for a short nap: heads are placed so that several eyes have an unobstructed all round view...

Gadwall

Two from a flock of six Gadwall (Anas strepera), with adult male in foreground

The Gadwall (Anas strepera) is an irregular winter visitor to the Canary Islands (La Palma, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura). This is only my second record of the species on La Palma, the first dating from four years ago, when one bird arrived at the end of October 2010, and was joined by four more around December 12.

The present group was discovered late this evening (Nov 6), in fading light, in an irrigation pond in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane). All photos were taken at ISO 800 - the first two with a wire mesh fence between me and the subject - and are the best I could do in the circumstances.

All six ducks together, adult male second from right