A pretty flock of Black and Whites

Here are a few of the Bufflehead ducks that I mentioned. The males a strong black and white with orange legs and feet, the females black and brown with a white cheek. Her legs and feet are dark. Look at how different the white cheek is on each of the females.

I love to watch them fly in, ones and twos come together to form a nice group at certain times. When they land, feet are out splayed out wide and hit first making a soft sliding sound on the water.

A month of Sundays

Duck and swan season over, I can 'shoot' in peace in my own way ... with a camera! I have a nice flock of Buffleheads and a small number of Ruddy ducks and now some Swans in the area feeding, playing and singing.

Here is a Ruddy duck, just a gorgeous blend of brown shades. It's a diver duck, diving for grasses or thrown corn. They like to play and will charge each other in a jousting style, beak first! The are not startled and ply about in the water even when approached by boat making them easy picking for certain gunners.

A new duck spotted

What a fantastic day, warm weather and slight winds from the west and ducks to enjoy.

The buffies and ruddies had a fine day puddling and diving. Even the resident mallards took to diving for corn. Why that's a first for me, I've only seen them tipping (bottoms up!) before now.

We have some swans about. The singing last night was a bit of old magic. We only have about 3 dozen. You cannot imagine what a couple hundred of these spectacular birds sound like unless you are HERE! Hopefully we will get those hundreds before they leave for northern climes!

BUT here is my new duck, a female canvas back. She came in today in the company of a female bluebill.

Isn't she pretty?

Beautiful ducks and a pleasure to watch them run about.

Like Saddle Shoes

The male Bufflehead Duck is a spectacular spash of black and white on the blue water. The white shines in the sun. I keep thinking of spectator shoes and saddle shoes. The black and white contrast is that strong and I have not mentioned the orange legs and feet. You see those just before the Buffie lands. The orange feet are outstretched in front. It's quite a show, especially because the Buffie comes in fast.

Little Ruddy Duck

Not a lot ducks this season. Have not seen a Bluebill or a Merganser or anything except a Ruddy and Bufflehead. I love to watch them dive and puddle about. A Ruddy duck has a distinctive sharp tail when resting. When it dives that tail spreads wide to help it push down into the water.
Here's a couple shots from today that show a Ruddy atop the water and one into a dive.

See how the tail spreads?

Young eagle after a meal

Warm weather and few ducks have the duck hunters home today. Here is a young hunter I spied swooping over the few ducks and coots around my pier.

It rests for a bit on the osprey nest and then flies off, eventually heading north.

Wounded ducks are easier prey. On a morning walk I saw a wounded Canada Goose. It was paddling near the road and took an interesting evasive maneuver. It spread itself as flat as it could, crooking his neck down too, level with the water surface. I invited him down for some corn, perhaps he will find his way.

A cropped view shows off the wonderful feet and talons.

When we rise

'That's the time I love the best' as the song goes. Winter brings fantastic skies; the first view upon rising is out on the Sound. What will it be?
This morning I first glanced a wall of clouds with light high. Scrambling for jeans and shoes I was out in a flash.
What a soft grey totally flat Sound. The duck hunters had beat me to it and they were cooing without luck for a handful of ducks.
The show was on the water. Surely a trip out on this morning was worth it even with no catch to show.
Not sure my skills bring you the magic that I saw, but here is my attempt to capture the view that captures me.

Just wonderful.

Winter Robin

The Robin is underrated, I think. It's a beautiful bird, a large bird with color and design that deserve top billing!
Just look at the scalloped edged feathering on the breast of this Robin.
The weather was a gift today and this morning as I walked my garden the trees were full of Robins. The White-Throated Sparrows were singing their Disney song, the ever-present Chickadees were buzzing about and the Bluebirds were happy exploring all the nest boxes while singing their plans for next spring.
Add some Buffleheads splashing about, a flush of blackbirds above followed by a hawk. Mon ami, the day the was full by morning.

December morning

The weather has a bit of a bite to it, but still mild. So mild that the wild ducks have yet to show in any numbers. The duck hunters quit in the morning, after trying to rustle up the few tiny groups (tsk! tsk!) that are plying the sound.

As I walked out the temp was about 49, the wind strong and the water was moving fast.

A half dozen bufflehead came close for my legal corn. They are very wary and make several attempts before diving near me. A male is making a fast break back out.

The female ventures close. I think the Buffy female is bold. I like her!

As the sun rises, the Buffies are spooked and head back out. A beautiful December morning. Mon ami, I hope you enjoyed yours!

Hope in the Hedges

A nest of mallard eggs spotted in the edge of the garden. What a wonderful accomplishment it will be to get this nest to hatch out. We will be as vigilant as we can for snakes. Not much we can do about the critters of the night.

Nothing cuter than a mallard duckling! I'm hoping for a garden full!

Note: Update today is that the female mallard is sitting on the nest.

Blues Rising

A small flock of bluebills paddle and flap and lift themselves into the air. The disturbance left on the water shows the energy the ducks use to take flight.

Mallards landing

A small flock of mallards lands in the sound waters. Mallards are not seen here in large numbers. Most are local ducks, perhaps hand raised by my neighbors or hatched from rare successful wild nests. Hunt clubs sometimes buy hatchlings, feed them and release them. The young ducks will find their way to yards where corn is offered by sympathetic residents.

Evening flyby

A flock of bluebills stream past in the evening light. In the background homes in the four wheel drive section of the Currituck OBX are lit by the last bits of the sun.

Hooded Mergansers

Oh, what a fabulous duck! The cold weather has brought a more than typical variety of ducks along with plenty of the typical duck hunters. I spotted the mergansers yesterday and was keen to get a pic today. The males are dressed in the fanciest of feathers, looking like they stepped off the stage of the Lion King. The female is similar in shape, but reddish orange. She is really something. BUT! The croaking call of the male is a show in itself. He rolls his head back and then forward while rolling out a rough 'hau-braugh'. My new favorite!

More Bluebills

The flocks have thinned considerably: we're down to a few ducks, a few swans. Of course the weather has turned rough and they may have moved to the bays. But this time of year I suspect they are moving north. The few that are here are feeding heavy. We walked the shoreline (the water was out due to the storm) and the fowl were not too anxious about us, just busy feeding. We haven't had our usual number of swans this year due to the consistent high water.

Another Beautiful Bluebill

Male Bluebill feeding on the sound. The green color on the head is seen in sunlight and is one way to distinguish the male Greater Scaup.

Mister Gorgeous

Even in his winter feathers he is one gorgeous duck.

Next Bluebill project

I caught a male Bluebill in profile, so of course he will go on my next art pillow and I'm working on it now. I start with the image, print it onto silk fabric and then start auditioning my fine cotton and cotton batik fabrics to create the pillow. It's a freeform process, so each pillow is unique in size if not colors. Isn't that golden eye something?

Black and White Perfection

A male Bufflehead duck, feathered in his best.

Bluebill Flock

Some of my flock of Bluebills in last week's rough water.