Two days after the recent Nor’easter, I was on the Gloucester coast. The ocean had calmed slightly and the air was clear, as evidenced by these photos. That’s Boston almost 30 miles across the Massachusetts Bay. I was using my 420mm lens setup. This was one of those times I wish I had my backup body with a shorter lens to get a better perspective.
This was a morning filled with ducks. First up are Red-breasted Mergansers. The male is showing off his courting moves. I guess the females see something in it.
Next, Common Eider. This is a male hanging out among the weeds along the shore and a female that was resting in a canal below us. I think I like the female’s coloration better.
This Gadwall was navigating the waves in a inlet in the Gloucester harbor.
The ice on a pond near the ocean forced the ducks to stay close to the shore where we were observing and photographing. That allowed for some great looks at Greater Scaup.
There was also a male Bufflehead swimming quietly near the shore of the pond. Most people consider this to be the cutest duck. They are only about half the size of a Mallard. And they are shaped like a rubber ducky.
Here’s a male Bufflehead flying over the ocean swells. That’s a female riding the waves.
Birds in My Viewfinder 