Wetlands

These are photographs from a flooded meadow and a swamp that highlight some of our water loving birds.

Great Blue Herons in flight have a prehistoric look.

This one is using some feathers to reduce lift as it comes in for a landing, just like spoilers on an airplane. Of course the birds had this mechanism first and we copied it!

This is a pair of Hooded Mergansers. The female has her hood out, but the male is keeping his in.

Wood Ducks are the most colorful duck we have. This male has it all on display.

The female, like most female birds, doesn’t have all the splashy color. All the better to brood her eggs without being spotted by a predator. But she does sport some fashionable Egyptian eye makeup.

The light margin on the blue speculum in the wings is just barely visible in this photograph of a male Wood Duck in flight.

We had just noticed this male Common Merganser in a small pond before it took flight. I managed to catch it as it passed, but my camera and I had to be quick.

Migrants and summer residents are starting to show up in greater numbers. I will be out trying to capture the activity.