A nice Drake.

Martha. Hatched in 1993. This photo was taken in 2004 - she's 11. Look farther down in the pictures to see her in 2008....

This shot shows the blue wing patch clearly.

A drake and duck.

In the sunlight..

This is Peggy - she's 13 years old here.

Peggy gets to spend winters in the house as part of her retirement. (2004)

Peggy also lost one of her feet to frostbite in 2001. This picture was taken in 2004.

A baby Appleyard.

Peggy made a nest.

Just hatched - not quite dry.

One drake and the rest ducks.

The drake in the background is in his eclipse molt. They change into their juvenile colours just before loosing all their wing feathers. Once their wing feathers are back in, they change back to their male colours.

A drake in eclipse.

Then they drop their wing feathers and grow new ones.

A drake in eclipse.

Peggy in 2005 at age 14 - hatched in 1991.

Peggy, November 2005

Martha, another senior. She was hatched in 1993 like Peggy. Here she is in January 2008 at the ripe old age of nearly 15. She and a few of the other retirees (rabbits included) are trying to keep warm together.

Martha, April 2008, age: 15tched in May of 1993 - this picture was taken in April 2008 - making her nearly 15.

This is Ethel - also retired, but a relative youngster at 13 - she was hatched in May 1995.

Stella enjoying the sun.

This one is a brown variant - an unrecognized colour.

Brown Appleyard.

A properly coloured appleyard - note the black bean on its bill.

Content on her nest.

Martha, August 2008, age 15. Note the cataracts in her eye. She's nearly blind, but the other ducks talk to her and that helps her get around.

Martha in December 2008. She doesn't get around so well anymore, but she appears quite happy.

Stella. Age 13. Enjoying a 'dip in the pool' on a very frigid day.

Ethel. Nearly 14. In January 2009, she started laying again.

Martha and Ethel together.

Headshot of a young drake just starting to get his adult colours.