THE CHASE (Time - 12:05:44). Like romance in most other species, this ritual started with a courtship - the female swims around the pond and the male tails it, both making sweet quack-quacks.
I presumed that the smaller duck at left is the female, and the one at right is the male ("he" will mount "her" later).


Philippine Duck
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Anas luzonica

Habitat - Freshwater marshes, shallow lakes and ricefields.

[20D+ 500 f4 L IS + stacked Canon/Tamron 1.4x TCs, 1000 mm, f/11, bean bag]

THE DANCE (Time - 12:05:48). After a few moments of chasing around, they both stop swimming and start bobbing their heads up and down,
with the downstroke almost submerging their whole bills in water. The sweet quack-quacks continue non-stop.


Philippine Duck
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Anas luzonica

Habitat - Freshwater marshes, shallow lakes and ricefields.

[20D+ 500 f4 L IS + stacked Canon/Tamron 1.4x TCs, 1000 mm, f/11, bean bag]

SHE'S READY (Time - 12:05:54). Suddenly, the female stops quacking and bobbing her head. She "crouches" low in the water in what appears to be a signal that she's ready for the act.

Philippine Duck
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Anas luzonica

Habitat - Freshwater marshes, shallow lakes and ricefields.

[20D+ 500 f4 L IS + stacked Canon/Tamron 1.4x TCs, 1000 mm, f/11, bean bag]

HE MOUNTS HER (Time - 12:05:56). The male loses no time in mounting the female. His weight causes her to be almost fully submerged in water.

Philippine Duck
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Anas luzonica

Habitat - Freshwater marshes, shallow lakes and ricefields.

[20D+ 500 f4 L IS + stacked Canon/Tamron 1.4x TCs, 1000 mm, f/11, bean bag]

SHE GOES COMPLETELY UNDER (Time - 12:05:57). The combined weight of the male and the momentum of his thrusts push the female to be fully submerged for a moment.


Philippine Duck
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Anas luzonica

Habitat - Freshwater marshes, shallow lakes and ricefields.

[20D+ 500 f4 L IS + stacked Canon/Tamron 1.4x TCs, 1000 mm, f/11, bean bag]

HE GRABS HER TO KEEP THE UNION INTACT (Time - 12:05:57). In what appears to me as an effort to keep movement and bouyancy from separating the union,
the male holds onto the underwater female, in the process also submerging most of his head.

Philippine Duck
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Anas luzonica

Habitat - Freshwater marshes, shallow lakes and ricefields.

[20D+ 500 f4 L IS + stacked Canon/Tamron 1.4x TCs, 1000 mm, f/11, bean bag]

SHE RESURFACES (Time 12:05:59). For the first time since she submerged while being mounted, I see the female's head come out from underwater.

Philippine Duck
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Anas luzonica

Habitat - Freshwater marshes, shallow lakes and ricefields.

[20D+ 500 f4 L IS + stacked Canon/Tamron 1.4x TCs, 1000 mm, f/11, bean bag]

THE DISMOUNT (Time - 12:06:01). Like an olympic gymnast getting off a pommel horse, the male dismounts.
The whole reproduction act (mounting to dismounting) lasted about 5 seconds.

Philippine Duck
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Anas luzonica

Habitat - Freshwater marshes, shallow lakes and ricefields.

[20D+ 500 f4 L IS + stacked Canon/Tamron 1.4x TCs, 1000 mm, f/11, bean bag]

REJOINING THE FLOCK (Time - 12:06:16). The loving couple (closer to camera) join their gang and swim towards the middle of the pond, their duty to the next generation of endemic quackers accomplished.

Philippine Duck
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Anas luzonica

Habitat - Freshwater marshes, shallow lakes and ricefields.

[20D+ 500 f4 L IS + stacked Canon/Tamron 1.4x TCs, 1000 mm, f/11, bean bag]