One of the smaller ‘dabbling’ ducks (feed on grasses in the water). With the exception of parts of the West Coast these ducks are everywhere we have marshes and swamps.
Personally I have bad luck photographing them. Typically I see them end of day when glare is on the swamp waters.
Salt water must not bother these ducks since I spot them along the inlets also.
This fall/winter I have gotten more decent images than the last several years combined. Not sure what that means but I’ll take it.
Wonderful shots, Ted, of what is an elusive species, at least where I live. I have not yet seen a single one this year, but your photos remind me why I need to be on the look out for them and their green-winged brethren.
I see Blue Wings more than Mallards 😀. They are still shy. The Green-winged and Gadwalls mix in with them now. An occasional Mottled Duck. Yesterday was Northern Shoveler day 😂. That said… you don’t see many images here. Most always they slip away quickly.
I definitely know what you mean, Ted. (FWIW, I see mallards more than any other duck.) I suspect that you are like me in considering a bird as “seen” if you can get a reasonably good photo of it. 🙂