Yes,Gary,they are characters. I think if you get an opportunity to study wildlife you will see they have different characteristics..the bold, the timid, the brash,the bullies..etc. We have two males that come and they DO NOT like any other mallards flying in. They lower their heads beaks almost to the ground and run at the 'intruder' across the lawn. Sometimes I see this happen and will put a handful of seed in two other places,apart from the main small pile at the end of the pond so the one that flew in gets a chance to eat.. That behaviour is obviously territorial. We love to hear the female..there are two that come,..with different males..ie. two 'couples' ..one has a bit of a punk hair do..lol.. and they both makes little noises in their throats when I go out to them when they arrive to put out more seed . they come very close to me now.It's excitement at the prospective meal, I'm sure. The males never do that. I assume bird seed is fine .I don't know if there's special feed for ducks. They seem to like it ..lol
The behaviour I've outlined really needs a video on the job. I have photos of them walking on the ice. It was quite funny..not for them though. One winter they flew in landing on the ice and slid along half the length of the pond..it's 19' long and 10'. wide 2'6" deep in the middle so sometimes they go under water and pop up anywhere. Unbelievably, I can mow the lawn and they move only when I get very close to them,they just move a few feet away. When we walk by them and they're sleeping on the lawn or the edge of the pond they open one eye see its myself or my wife and close it again but they never keep their eyes closed for more than 30 seconds or so..just a quick look round with one eye..this is when their heads are tucked into their backs.They will also sometimes fly up onto a neighbour's roof.
I better stop or I'll be ticked off….lol..