The ambiguously gay ducks......

[poltr1]

At a neighboring apartment/condo complex, there is a small lake, where waterfowl occasionally land and roost. (I've seen mostly Canada geese and mallard ducks.) Sometimes they wander on to our property, either on foot or by wing.

In the past couple weeks, I've noticed a mated pair of mallards (drake and hen, or an an ex-girlfriend called them, "mallard and femallard") hanging around our condo complex, and a pair of drake mallards that come by and visit. I've come to refer to them as "the ambiguously gay ducks".

Now, I don't know if these two ducks really are gay; I'm not seen them shagging or whatever passes for it. But they're two male ducks that like to hang out together. Maybe they said "to hell with the hens" and just like each other's company.

This just might be the proof I need to show that homosexuality DOES occur in nature and is NOT unnatural.

Moving from the fauna to the flora......There's also one tulip that's getting ready to bloom. The chipmunks or squirrels must have eaten the rest of the bulbs over the years.

And it's time to plant flowers. This year, I need some help. My unit faces north. What flowers, other than impatiens, like lots of shade? I like impatients, but I've planted them for several years now.

Comments

[dark-kiss-angel.livejournal.com]

Now, I don't know if these two sucks really are gay;

-two SUCKS? hehe

[poltr1]

Gah! The Typo Fairy strikes again! It should have been "two ducks".

That's it. I'm switching to the Dvorak keyboard layout.

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

Years ago I recall reading a serious scientific article about homosexuality in ducks (in Science News, maybe). If memory serves it involved pairs of female mallards. Essentially such a paor would provide the advantages of a pair for protecting offspring, and yes, they did what passes for shagging.

So yes, if you need proof, it lies with the ducks. I'm afraid I can't help with the literature search except to say that I believe it was well over a decade ago.

[hawklady.livejournal.com]

Mallards are social, so they'll flock up, but they don't have anything like real pairbonds. Mating's sort of "pile on, guys!" as the males chase the females around and sometimes drown them. The female - assuming she survives - is left to handle the nest and raise the youngsters herself. Sometimes you'll see pairs sticking together because the male is defending his mate from other males; when they're done with the sex part he takes off and she's on her own again.

So the two males are likely not having a torrid affair. They just get along well, probably neither is bothering to push the "I'm dominant" thing much.

[smoooom.livejournal.com]

there are several "gay" penguin couples who have been in the news just latley. One couple was given an egg to raise, which they apparently did quite succesfully.

I\ll try an find the links.

[braider.livejournal.com]

Actually, we know for certain that homosexuality does occur in nature. There have been a number of documented examples.

[poltr1]

A few years ago, I saw a pair of het mallards doin' the wild thang in the parking lot of the local Wendy's. It was more like "wham, bam, thank you, ma'am."

[poltr1]

Excellent. That's exactly the evidence we need to disprove people like Pat Buchanan and Phil Burress who insist that homosexuality is unnatural. I relish the thought of both of them having egg on their faces (if not a cream pie) and/or having to eat crow.