Winter Ducks Returning

Our 'Winter Ducks', as I term them, are returning in numbers all of a suddens. Teals have been speckling the small ponds here and there but I never consider the Winter Ducks here until the Ring-necked Ducks arrive. Maybe due to the fact that this is the first year I have found Teal in the background before.

Not far from one store I visit I have been monitoring Blue-winged Teal. Some days there might be 2, somedays 40. Tonight I got to one pond as the Sun was setting and gave me some interesting lighting. I am pretty pleased with this shot of a Male Blue-winged Teal.



Blue-winged Teal do dominate the arriving flocks but there are other birds tucked in there, too. The Blue-wingeds have a white patch near their bill but there is also a couple of Green-winged Teal in there. Note the center bird that has no white near the bill and a bit more green in the rear. Can't wait for the males to arrive for some extra color.



Best of the bunch tonight was a Ring-necked Duck diving just to the left. Nice and close and not minding my approach.



I drove home around Lake Davis and actually found 59 more Ring-necked Ducks. They are back and right on time. Now we wait for the odd birds to show up.