Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.
– Michael Caine
Kensington Palace Garden 2012
Photo by P. H. Morton
This photo is simply beautiful. I love how the duck’s reflection is as real as the bird itself. The ripples on the water are captured so convincingly. It is like looking at the real thing and not a one-dimensional flat photograph. This photo reminds me of that lovely day at Kensington Palace.
Did you know?
The duck on the above photo is an adult male mandarin duck. It has that unmistakable red bill, white crescent above the eye and reddish face and “whiskers”. The breast is purple with two vertical white bars, and the flanks ruddy, with two orange “sails” at the back. The female is similar to female Wood Duck, with a white eye-ring and stripe running back from the eye, but is paler below, has a small white flank stripe, and a pale tip to its bill.
Female Mandarin Duck
Photo by PH Morton
Mandarin Ducks are referred to by the Chinese as Yuan-yang where yuan and yang respectively stand for male and female Mandarin Ducks.
In traditional Chinese culture, Mandarin Ducks are believed to be lifelong couples, unlike other species of ducks. Hence they are regarded as a symbol of conjugal affection and fidelity, and are frequently featured in Chinese art.
The Mandarin Duck symbol is also used in Chinese weddings because in traditional Chinese lore, they symbolize wedded bliss and fidelity.