Steve Nord wrote:
Signs of the coming Spring included . . . male ducks bobbing their
heads in courtship displays.

We live on Long Lake, just a few miles west of Nisqually, and one of the
pleasures of living there is the variety of ducks that swim accommodatingly
right past the house. I've been seeing courtship displays by Mallards,
Buffleheads, and others for a long time. Many of the ducks go around in
male-female pairs all winter, and I wonder just how much such displays
really reflect changes associated with longer daylength and more hormones
flowing. I have the impression that the partners in a pair are displaying
to each other outside breeding season as a way of maintaining their
pair-bonds. "Look, I still love you and I'm still a desirable, vigorous
mate. Stick with me, baby!" I haven't had a chance to read more about
this; others may know of studies relevant to the question.

Burt Guttman
The Evergreen State College 360-867-6755
Olympia, WA 98505 guttmanb at evergreen.edu

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