Wordless Wednesday: Flying “Whistlers”

 

Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger picture of the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in flight.  Enjoy!

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Whistlers Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing all a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Here are some photographs I took weeks ago of whistlers that I hope you will like.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger photo.  Enjoy!

 

A Wood Duckling Learning to Fly

It seems like I surprise the Wood Ducks here on the pond a lot.  They are so skittish that whenever I approach the pond and they are on the same shoreline as I am, they flee.  The hen Wood Duck duckling was out with its mother and was startled by my presence.  The pair took off in a low “Touch and go” flight to the middle of the pond.  That actually is good practice for the duckling.  Soon it will be a very confident flier.  I took these pictures on July 4, 2012 in my yard.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

Male Northern Cardinal

Canada Goose

Female Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker

I took these pictures in my yards in the past week.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

 

Wood Ducks

The Blue Winged Teal Ducks, Part 2 of 2

The Blue Winged Teal Ducks were here on the little farm pond for just a few minutes on April 2, 2012.  The trio of two drakes and a hen were just settling down on the water when a few local cattle decided to cool off by wading in the pond.  Off the ducks flew!  Now they are on the way back up North to their nesting grounds in Northern U.S. states and in Canada.  They like ponds, lakes, and slow shallow streams and marshes on rivers.  By the way, on Thursday afternoon, April 5, 2012, I saw seven of these Blue Winged Teal here on the pond.  So the original trio were the advance scouts for the small flock.  The other possibility is that the seven are a split-off group of a larger flock and the other ducks are out on the neighborhood community lake nearby.  I was glad to see them here!  Other than the one photo below dated 4/5/12, the other pictures were taken on 4/2/12.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Photo taken on 4/5/12

The Gadwall Duck on the Pond

I had seen a Gadwall Duck on the pond most days during the past few weeks.  There were small group of Gadwalls here within the past month, but I think that the other Gadwalls are on the nearby lake.  The Gadwall ducks are a lovely medium-sized grey-ish brown duck with a white patch on each of  its wing feathers.  The bill is a dark blue-brown.  These ducks have a faint line over their eyes.  Both genders pretty much  look alike.  This is a tipping duck that stretches its head and neck and tips downward in the shallow water to  pull up aquatic bulbs, grasses and weeks.  These ducks also occasionally eat insects but plants are their main diet.  I have noticed that sometimes a stray duck or two will mix-in with the other ducks, especially with a group of Mallards.  The Gadwalls are migratory visitors here.  I enjoyed seeing the Gadwall here on the little farm pond.  I took these pictures in my yard on Feb. 7, 2012, and Feb. 13, 2012.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday – Waterfowl

Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!