I love the alliteration of the phrase “dabbling duck.” To me it has an idyllic and serene connotation. When I saw this Gadwall at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in Montana, that phrase came to my mind. The pond was glassy so only a few ripples from the duck’s forward movement break the calm. The Gadwall had recently dabbled, as evidenced by the water droplets on its head. Dabbling ducks slowly paddle around and dip their heads under water to feed, their feathered butts sticking straight up out of the water, seemingly not a care in the world. Dabble on, duck.