Last weekend was cold and very grey but seeing this American Widgeon hanging out on a rock in Clear Creek brought a little color to the day. Even though I gave these guys a little grief for swiping food from the redheads the other day they sure are something to look at.
Looking down the Fire Hole river in YNP on a chilly grey afternoon.
If you can’t dive to the bottom of the pond to get a tasty mouthful of greens what’s a dabbling duck like this American Widgeon to do? Simple, steal it form those darn diving ducks like this Redhead. We have watched this behavior many times. The Widgeon follows the diving ducks around on the pond and when they come up they try to steal the divers catch. This time a determined Redhead got away with his mouthful of greens and we all need to eat our greens.
Driving from left to right across the North Cascades.
Remembrances of a road trip now long overdue.
Continuing with what appears to have turned into duck week here on the blog I present the Buffleheads. They make a fine couple don’t they.
They usually seem to keep to the middle of the lakes around here in winter but when it gets cold and the lakes freeze over they move the the nearby creeks where we get a closer look at these amazing little ducks.
From allaboutbird..https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bufflehead/id
“Buffleheads are a buoyant, large-headed duck that abruptly vanishes and resurfaces as it feeds, the tiny Bufflehead spends winters bobbing in bays, estuaries, reservoirs, and lakes. Males are striking black-and white from a distance. A closer look at the head shows glossy green and purple setting off the striking white patch. Females are a subdued gray-brown with a neat white patch on the cheek. Bufflehead nest in old woodpecker holes, particularly those made by Northern Flickers, in the forests of northern North America.”
Each winter we await the arrival of the waterfowl which overwinter on the creeks in our vicinity. One of the duck species I always love to see on the creek is the diminutive Green Winged Teal which are the smallest dabbling ducks in North America. This male caught our eye the other day allowed us a few quick photographs before making his way downstream.
Oh it’s still winter, but even on an early January afternoon you can feel spring inching ever closer. The shadows cast from the trees are still long. There is still plenty of snow on the ground yet change is in the air on this January afternoon.
Out on a cross country ski near biscuit basin in Yellowstone NP. What is not to love, bison, geysers and sunlight just peeking out from behind the clouds.
We went out yesterday morning and it was cold (-20C) cold. Yet the water was flowing over this small drop along the Platte River in South Denver.
A pinhole camera is a great tool for cold weather photography. No batteries, no mechanical parts and I can operate it with mittens on.
Zeroimage Pinhole Camera and Koadak Tmax 100iso film.
Even the icicles freeze up and stay quiet for the night.
The Juncos are all puffed out and tucked into the spruce tree.
While I prepare to take the shape of a human next to the fire.
nature has no boss 
You must be logged in to post a comment.