Here we see a hen and two drake Mallards making themselves conspicuous in Blue Hill Bay on Wednesday (January 22). Perhaps they sense that the hunting season for them ended in the first week of the month.
Curiously, a group of Mallards on land or in the water is called a “flock,” but when they take flight, they’re called a “sord” of Mallards. (Note: some nature articles incorrectly call multiple Mallards a “sord” when they’re in “flock” mode and vice-versa. It’s helpful to realize that “Sord” is derived from the Middle English word “sorde,” to rise up.) Below, in an image from a prior year, we see a sorde of Mallards about to land and become a flock:
Nonetheless, when it comes to flying, Mallards are no slouches. They’ve been clocked at 70 miles per hour and can explode out of the water in virtually vertical flight. (Brooklin, Maine)