Ducks: Part III

Continuing with Ducks:

Northern Pintail

Northern Shoveler

Redhead

Ring-necked Duck

Ruddy Duck

Ring Billed, I Mean Ring Necked Duck

Ducks are ducks. And with the exception of the rarer ones: Black Bellied Whistling Duck, or Harlequin Duck, you get to a point where you walk right by one and not even blink let alone stop to take a photo. And yet, they can occasionally offer you a "5" Star Photo if you are willing to stop for a moment. Such is the case with today's Ring Necked Duck.  

I sometimes have to stop and think about its name. Ring "Necked" Duck. As you see one the first and foremost thing you see are the two rings on its bill. You don't see any rings on its neck. But, what's in a name?

Ring Necked Duck

Agua Caliente - Part V

Agua Caliente also has a full array of the usual ducks and coots. Nothing really unique. Lake Cochise is probably the best place to see sandpipers, curlews, godwits, avocets, stilts, etc. Coming from the Northwest where waterbirds are as plentiful as house sparrows, I sometimes overlook them here in Arizona. But, where there is water there is usually wildlife. Here are some of the ducks from Agua Caliente:

American Wigeon

Mallard Chicks

Ring Necked Duck

Northern Shoveler

Cinnamon Teal

National Wildlife Refuges

Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, 1944

Columbia Refuge, established by Congress in 1944,  is a scenic mixture of rugged cliffs, canyons, lakes, and sagebrush grasslands. Formed by fire, ice, floods, and volcanic tempest, carved by periods of extreme violence of natural forces, the refuge lies in the middle of the Drumheller Channeled Scablands of central Washington -- locally referred to as "The Potholes."  The area reveals a rich geologic history highlighted by periods of dramatic activity, each playing a major role in shaping the land. The northern half of the refuge, south of Potholes Reservoir, is a rugged jumble of cliffs, canyons, lakes, and remnants of lava flows. This part of the Scablands, known as the Drumheller Channels, is the most spectacularly eroded area of its size in the world and was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1986.

The favorable mixture of lakes and surrounding irrigated croplands, combined with generally mild winters and protection provided by the refuge, attracts large numbers of migrating and wintering mallard ducks, Canada geese, and other waterfowl, including tundra swans.

Black Necked Stilts

Great Egret

Horned Lark

Killdeer

Lesser Scaup

Redhead Duck

Ring Necked Duck

Canada Geese and Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Cranes

White Pelicans

White Pelicans

Agua Caliente

Up at dawn this morning and it occurred to me I didn't have to make breakfast for anyone. So I hopped in the Jeep and headed over to Agua Caliente -- Hot Water. Or, the name of a regional park about four miles from us. There is a pond of, at most, 10 acres but it attracts water  birds. I have seen Great Egrets, Green Herons, Black Crowned Night Herons, Great Blue Herons, an Osprey, Belted Kingfishers, Peregrine Falcons, Great Horned Owls, Cooper's Hawks, Sharp Shinned Hawks, Red Tailed Hawks, and an assortment of small birds like Vermillion Flycatchers, Western Tanagers, Orioles, and Cedar Waxwings among others. But, today one Great Blue Heron and some of the winter ducks:

Great Blue Heron

Mallard Duck

Ring-necked Duck

American Wigeon

Agua Caliente, Arizona - Part VI

In preparing for today's blog on Agua Caliente, I realized that there are so many ducks at Agua Caliente that I haven't taken a lot of photos of them. I guess after coming from the Northwest ducks become like quail and doves here. So, out of habit, I walk right past them looking for something more unusual.  But, I did pull out a few that I particularly like. The first is my favorite:

That's our grandson, Noah taken about 5 years ago.  He was so thin that putting a belt on him would be like trying to put a belt on a pencil. (You'll have to click on the photo to enlarge ).

Ring Necked Duck

Mallard Close-up

Mallard Chicks

Diving Ducks

Ducks are sometimes challenging to photograph. First, is finding the intended species.  Most ducks migrate so time of year is often important. Your choice of lakes is also important since some lakes draw a wider variety of waterfowl than others. Usually you don't know exactly what you will find. You may have a good idea that Mallards or Northern Shovelers will be around. But, even if you find them, getting close is somewhat problematic since they are in water and you are on land. If you are in a public park then it is a little easier because the ducks may be more accustomed to people and may in fact come closer to the water's edge. But in the more remote areas there are other problems. Ducks don't always sit calmly for a good profile photo. You want them to be close and in the right direction -- as opposed to swimming away from you and just showing you their "rear-end." Lighting, is a whole other issue itself, unless you just want silhouettes. With Dabbling Ducks you often just see the tail because the head is underwater. With Diving Ducks you might take a photo only to realize once you get home that all that's in your photo is a splash of water where the duck was. 

Diving ducks are different from dabbling ducks in that they -- you guessed it -- dive for their food. Diving ducks swim underwater to feed on aquatic vegetation, insects, and occasionally small fish. They can dive deeply and are strong swimmers so they dive for protection from predators as well as for food. Unlike dabbling ducks, they are very awkward on land. Diving ducks are found most often on large bodies of water such as lakes, bays, and estuaries. All of my Diving Ducks can be found throughout the United States at various times of the year. Here are my photos of Diving Ducks:

Barrow's Goldeneye

photo taken at Lake Chopaka, Northcentral Washington

Common Goldeneye

photo taken too long ago to remember exactly -- somewhere in British Columbia

Bufflehead

photo taken at Davis Lake, Oregon

Canvasback

photo taken at Potholes, Central Washington

Lesser Scaup

photo taken at Agua Caliente, Arizona

Redhead Duck

photo taken at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, California

Ring Necked Duck

photo taken at Agua Caliente, Arizona

Ruddy Duck

photo taken at Sweetwater Wetlands, Arizona