ducks

Stealth Mode!

March 14, 2015 — 13 Comments

Common Merganser 2

F/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 560.

Common Merganser

Day 73 / 365

She suspects him of cheating, so she decided to follow him today.    She is literally on his tail.      🙂

Interesting Fact: Common Mergansers usually nest in natural tree cavities or holes carved out by large woodpeckers. Sometimes mergansers take up residence in next boxes, provided the entrance hole is large enough. On occasion they use rock crevices, holes in the ground, hollow logs, old buildings, and chimneys.  ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Merganser/lifehistory )

Freezing And In Love!

February 14, 2015 — 4 Comments

gadwall

F/6.3, 1/320, ISO 1600.
Gadwall Duck
Day 45 / 365

Even on a frozen ocean you can find love today.

Interesting Fact: Gadwall sometimes steal food from American Coots and from other ducks.
( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/gadwall/lifehistory )

Bonus Valentine Facts: 2. Valentine’s Day may have a rather gory history. As one variation of a popular myth goes, Claudius II, the Emperor of Rome, forbade young men from marrying because he wanted them as soldiers in his army instead. St. Valentine defied him and married people in secret, so he was executed on Feb. 14 in the year AD 269 – or so the story goes. ( http://m.ibtimes.com/valentines-day-facts-history-fun-ideas-free-burritos-singles-awareness-other-things-1813226 )

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming!

January 4, 2015 — 12 Comments

canvasback ducks

F/6.3, 1/60, ISO 320.

Day 4 / 365

I wonder where they can be swimming in such a hurry, maybe they are late to be somewhere or maybe they are just afraid of me. 🙂

Interesting Fact: Canvasbacks are diver ducks well equipped with their own form of flippers—large webbed feet that make them smooth and graceful swimmers. They spend much of their time in the water and use their long bills to feed by digging through bottom sediments in search of aquatic plant stems and roots, or submerged insects, crustaceans, and clams. ( http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/canvasback/ )