The other day we spotted a few Canvasbacks in the local pond. This guy just awoke from a nap on the edge of the ice. We don’t see many Canvasbacks around our area in the winter so watching a few napping and others diving into the pond for a meal was quite a treat.
nature has no boss 
I LOVE this little guy. Not sure what it is, but he’s so plump and has such a sly expression. I want to hug him!
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HI Susan, this guy is a Canvasback. I love how squat he is an so different from some of the other duck we usually see on this pond.
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What a great shot! I love you you got his/her expression! Looks like a band on its leg. Might be interesting to call US Fish and Wildlife to see if they know the duck’s history, if you don’t see it there much. So many animals are having to find new migratory routes because of habitat loss. I love your pictures.
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Hi Mary, yeah this guy was just waking from a nap in the sun after a chilly night and had a nice look in his eyes. I think it was either a change of weather or the recent very cold wether which changed where these guys were located. The pond they were on was the only one around with some open water and these guys need to dive for food so perhaps that comes into play. I suspect as it warms back up these guys will move back to their usual habitat.
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I never seen before
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He is different isn’t he and good looking as well. 🙂
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Yes it is, in my garden i have only crows and blackbirds
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It is nice to have abundance but I also like studying crows as they are so intelligent.
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Yes i habe three books about crows
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That is cool. Have you read mind of a raven?
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Here are the german titel: Krähen: Ein Portrait , from Cord Riechelmann
Die Seele der Raben , from Bernd Heinrich
the other titel i have forgotten
here in my hometown we have over 2000 years a colony of special rooks, we call it “Saatkrähe”
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The second on is it. Bernard Heinrich has several interesting nature books I just purchased on called surviving winter.
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In have one another, the trees of the forest
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I will have to try that one when I finish this current one.
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here is one rooks on northsee island Foehr
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Thanks, it must be very special to have a rook so old. Do people respect that?
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When i was a child the farmers hate the blacks because they picked up all the new korn. Today on tje most field they bought big houses.
But Crows and rooks very clever, they founded other “goldmines”
Here is one Place, a little Forest where you can see hundreds of rooks, when they come home.
It is a loud orchestra.
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The same is happening here the fields are now filled with houses and as you say the crows are smart enough to find other food.
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The goverment put the rooks under a savety order
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That is good we have to look out for the animals on this planet as it would be a pretty lonely place with only humans.
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Very nice canvasback. With expression, and a band on its leg!
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Yes that expression is nice and he is indeed banded for study. I wonder where his summer home is?
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Last year, we had lots of Canvasbacks, as it was so cold for so long, that those that typically winter a bit further north had to come further south to find open water. This winter, I’ve only seen a few. But with this stretch of below freezing weather due to extend through this week, perhaps a few more will come nearby. Love your photo!
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Hi Judy, the recent cold out here might be one reason we have the canvasback visiting right now. These guys were on one of the only ponds with open water in the area. It was nice to get a photo of this guy out of the water as it really show how squat they are in comparison to some of the other ducks we usually have. Hope your day is join good and perhaps a few canvasbacks will make their way towards you this week.
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He’s amazing! That eye!!
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It is a bit of a lay eye but in a good sly eye way.:-)
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sly eye yes! lol
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Thanks Laura and take care and have fun in the fog.
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Great capture Mike! This species/type has long been on my Winter “shot list”. They’re always too far out for me, or I’m not where they are. 🙂 One year I hope I get an image as nice as this one.
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Hi, we were lucky to catch this guy as most of the time we observed them there were snoozing. We were able to get pretty close since most of the ice was frozen and all the ducks were grouped into a fairly small area that morning. Usually they as well as the buffleheads and redheaded ducks are always far outing the middle of the lake. Hope your day is going well.
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What a plump and distinguished looking bird! I see he is banded – that always makes me wonder where and how?
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He is indeed well built and I am not sure where he was banded but I do know Canvasback numbers were in decline and he must be part of a study to determine why.
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I went to http://www.ducks.org where they had a fair amount of info, which was pretty up to date, if you have an interest. Apparently the loss of vegetation in Chesapeake Bay caused a huge pop. decline. (It’s those humans messing with the earth again!) 😉
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HI Eliza, thanks for the link. I bet the habitat loss in the west is(was) also the reason for the canvasback decline. Christy found the website for the US bird banding program: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/homepage/btypes.cfm
It also has some interesting about banding. Too bad I could not get the complete number from the photo.
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What a beauty, I notice it is banded.
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He is a good looking guy. He must be part of a study on Canvasbacks is my best guess for the banding.
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He looks quite pleased with himself! As well he should be, sitting for such a stunning portrait! Love everything about it.
Elouise
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Thank, he was a pretty fine guy and quite happy to have a portrait taken. I went back to the same pond a day latter and all the Canvasback were gone.
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His portrait sitting had been accomplished.! Good for all of us that you were on time, too.
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It was a good lesson on seizing the opportunity when it arises.
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