Duck - Wood Duck Couple
A pair of Wood Ducks share a log in a swampy area near Lake Hancock in the Circle B Bar Reserve, Lakeland, FL. April 2021
Red-breasted Mergansers
A male and two female Red-breasted Mergansers swim in Whittier Lake, Frederick, Maryland, Mar 25, 2021. These birds are heading to their breeding grounds in the north.
Goose - Sparing Canadian Geese
Two male Canadian Geese spar during mating season. Males fight over females with their wings and bills, lots of chasing, biting other males, and honking. Rocky Ridge, MD, June 9, 2018
Ducks - Blue-winged Teals
Blue-winged teals swimming on a lake near Richmond, Georgia.
Goose - Canada
A mother Canada goose and goslings along the C&O Canal in MD.
Tundra Swans
Tundra Swans take off from a pond. Frederick County, MD, March 2021
Hooded Merganser
Huntley Meadows, Alexandria, Virginia, Mar 14, 2021
Northern Shoveler
A male Northern Shoveler takes off from a pond in Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, Mar 14, 2021.
Male (left) and female Red-breasted Mergansers take a pit stop on their way north, Whittier Lake, Frederick, Maryland, Mar 25, 2021.
You can see here how wide these red-breasted mergansers can open their mouths. I took this photo at Whittier Lake, Frederick, Maryland, Mar 25, 2021.
Lesser Scaup
A male Lesser Scaup swims along the Choptank River in Cambridge, Maryland, Feb 9, 2022. Lesser Scaup's and Greater Scaup's look very similar. The main difference is in head shape. The Greater Scaup has a rounded head and the Lesser Scaup has a peaked head, such as this one. These ducks also mix with other diving ducks such as Canvasbacks, Redheads, Greater Scaup, and Ring-necked Ducks as they do here on the Choptank River.
Greater Scaup
A male Greater Scaup along the Choptank River in Cambridge, MD - Feb 2022
Canvasback
A female Canvasback swims along the Choptank River, Cambridge, Maryland, Feb 9, 2022. Interesting fact from All About Birds: "In the world of ducks, females abide by the saying, “don't put all your eggs in one basket.” Female Canvasbacks sometimes lay eggs in another Canvasback's nest; and Redheads and Ruddy Ducks sometimes lay their eggs in a Canvasback's nest."
Tundra Swan Couple
A pair of tundra swans swimming along a pond at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland.
A pair of Tundra Swans take off from a pond in Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, MD, Feb 10, 2022.
A regal male Canvasback along the Choptank River in Cambridge, Maryland, Feb 10, 2022.
Comes in for a landing on the Choptank River, Cambridge, Maryland, Feb 2022.
Long-tailed Duck
I found this handsome long-tailed duck swimming near the Choptank Lighthouse jetty in Cambridge, MD. This sea duck breeds in the tundra regions of the Arctic and winters along the northern coastlines of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Photographed in Cambridge, MD, February 2022
A male long-tailed duck with a small fish he brough up from a dive. He spent some time flipping the fish around, dropping it and then picking it up again to kill and break it up before swallowing it. Choptank River, Cambridge, Maryland, Feb 2022
A Long-tailed duck slurps down a fish. Choptank River, Cambridge, Maryland, Feb 2022. These ducks breed in the high Arctic and spend winters mostly along northern ocean coasts. They are excellent divers—able to swim as deep as 200 feet to forage.
American Wigeon
A male American wigeon along the Choptank River, Cambridge, MD - Feb 2022
Mallards
A pair of Mallards rest on their nest at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Del. Did you know that "Mallard pairs form long before the spring breeding season. Pairing takes place in the fall, but courtship can be seen all winter. Only the female incubates the eggs and takes care of the ducklings." ~ All About Birds
Black Duck
Black Duck - A female black duck works on her nest in early March at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Del.
A male black duck stretches and flaps its wings in the early morning at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware,
