There are always mallards at Jamaica Pond, sometimes supplemented in the spring and summer by a family or two of wood ducks (and one black Muscovy duck in love with a mallard), but the pond now is home, even if temporarily, to all sorts of other ducks. Read more.

The other day, a mother duck and her ducklings were at the northernmost end of Jamaica Pond, slowly paddling through the muck there, stopping from time to time for a bite to eat. Read more.

A family of wood ducks glided along the surface of Jamaica Pond yesterday.

A bunch of common eiders, including this guy, were bobbing around on the Sugar Bowl side of Castle Island this afternoon (thanks to Boston duck Twitter for the ID).

Mary Ellen journeyed up to Jamaica Pond today, where, amongst the fresh crop of hooded mergansers, which usually show up there about now, she spotted some redhead ducks, which are not commonly seen in 02130.

Sometimes, the pond also sees ruddy ducks, which, however, do not have red heads.

The mama duck and her seven ducklings had settled in for a snooze late yesterday afternoon among the mud and rocks along the Perkins Street side of Jamaica Pond, just up from that outlet tunnel. As the ducklings huddled in a big fuzzball, mother burrowed into her own feathers - but with one eye still on the water.

Then a heron landed maybe 8 or 9 feet away. At first, it stood there, seeming to eye the ducklings. Read more.

The photographer, who doesn't know from ducks, except the ones that come up to you with the geese if they think you have bread, spotted this bird scooting along, and alone, on Jamaica Pond this afternoon. Dr. Google pronounces it a ring-necked duck.

Mary Ellen spotted this green-winged teal on the Charles River in Watertown today, not far from where she spotted a male wood duck: Read more.

Mary Ellen spotted this pair of hooded mergansers (the male is the one using the bold splash of white) on Jamaica Pond yesterday.