Lady Mallard Fights Plastic Collar, Wins

This female Mallard sat a few feet to the side of the sleepy group and was preening in a very agitated and frantic manner.  As my camera zoomed in closer, I saw the reason.  She had a white plastic ring around her neck.  It may also have been a rubber band.  It wasn’t choking her but it very clearly was a major annoyance. I made a short video of her struggle.  Minutes later, with the camera off, she succeeded somehow.  She smoothed her feathers and the collar lay on the ground a few feet beside her.  Not every bird is so lucky.