Photo by Chris Bosak
A Mallard swims in a small pond in Darien, Conn., Dec. 2014.

Everyone has seen Mallards. In fact, everyone has probably seen thousands upon thousands of Mallards. Even so, every once in a while I see Mallards in a setting that catches my eye and I have to pull out the camera to try to capture the scene. Such was the case the other day when I visited a small pond in Darien, Conn. A tree on the shoreline still had its colorful leaves on it — long after most of the leaves have fallen already — and the colors were reflected in the section of the pond where the Mallards were swimming. So, yes, they are common, but they are also picturesque.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Mallard swims in a small pond in Darien, Conn., Dec. 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A female Mallard swims in a small pond in Darien, Conn., Dec. 2014.