"What’s On Tonaquint Pond?"
Baby Mallard Ducks
One of
nature’s cutest creatures is a baby
duck. If you don’t agree, high-tail it to the Tonaquint Park where
there are 10 Mallard Duck babies bobbing on the surface of Tonaquint
Pond. Right now they are about the size of a fuzzy tennis ball, but
baby ducks grow so quickly that in just a few weeks they will change
into beautiful adults. The adult male Mallards have a striking
iridescent green on the head, a white neck-ring, a chestnut-brown
chest, and gray sides. The female Mallards are not so 
colorful, but
have a dark brown stripe running through the eye like their babies.
Mallards, one of the larger ducks, resemble majestic sailing ships
floating through the water.
Mallard Ducks can be found in most any water body because they adapt readily to food grown by man. Few ducks nest in the Washington County area, but because Mallards are so adaptable, it’s likely you will see their babies each spring. All of the 10 babies on Tonaquint Pond will probably not make it to adulthood because there are predators that think they are delightful snacks.
The baby
Mallards will be on display at
Tonaquint Park until they get their flight feathers and then they will
be off with the call of the wild. Take a few minutes to visit Tonaquint
Pond, and feed the ducks (something healthy). If you happen to go on
May 13, 7:00 p.m. you are invited to our General Meeting of the Red
Cliffs Audubon. The following Saturday, May 16, is an Audubon Field
Trip to the Confluence of the LaVerkin and Virgin. Meet at 7:00 a.m. at
BLM. Let the bird specialists show you some great birding areas. For
more
information, call Marilyn Davis at 435 673-0996.