Beautiful Colors of the Garden

Visiting the San Diego Botanic Garden is a wonderful treat for your senses. The fresh flowers and foliage fill the air with exotic fragrances. Some of the colors of the flowers in bloom will take your breath away. This is a wonderful time of the year to visit the garden. But what really caught my attention was a beautifully colored Mallard duck sitting in the lily pond. His plumage showed a magnificent play of colors reminding me that flowers are not the only thing in nature with beautiful colors.  Even the most common duck can be one of the most beautiful when it comes to displaying beautiful colors in nature.

Here are some photos of this magnificent colored male Mallard duck in full breeding plumage. Also some of the beautiful blooming plants found at the garden this time of the year. 

A look at the greenish yellow bill that will always be an  identifying feature of a male Mallard. Soon after breeding season, the male goes though a massive molt, looking much like a female mallard. This stage of molting after breeding season is called "eclipse" . Even though his plumage may look much like a female, his greenish yellow beak will help ID him as a drake.

 

A close up of the wing. The female Mallard has the same color bar markings on her wings.

A close-up of the bright purple/blue marking with black and white border on the secondary feathers of the wing. This patch is called the "speculum".

A look at the underside of the wing.

 

The Northern Mockingbird blending in with his surroundings.

There is a nursery next to the gift store where the garden sells many rare and hard to find plants to the public. This was my purchase of the day!  Love this beautiful yellow Clivia lily!

Even the small roses are beautiful.

 

Have a "colorful" week everyone!