Most of the mallard ducks that I encountered today were busily foraging for food. One female mallard, however, had found a prime location on a mossy log in the pond opposite the beaver lodge and spent a lot of time preening her feathers.
It may have been my imagination, but she seemed to realize that she had an audience and began posing for me. Periodically she would even glance coyly in my direction (or so it seemed) to confirm that I was still watching her. As for the male mallards that would swim by from time to time—she ignored them completely.
Shy duck
Looking back
Ready for my profile shot
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Nice shots. she must be used to having people nearby. They are usually in the water and swimming away long before I can get very close.
There seem to be new ducks all the time. I wasn’t quite as close as it seems and was using a 250mm lens, but you may be right about them being used to people. Fortunately I had an clear path to photograph the duck from the boardwalk.