Ruddy Duck

Male Ruddy Duck, Blue Heron Lake

I photographed a very mottled ruddy duck back in late October and mid-November, and I wonder if the duck here now is the same individual. There were a male and femal pair back then, same as now, but now the male is in its breeding plumage.

I saw the duck on Blue Heron Lake when I was walking around it yesterday, but the duck was snoozing out in the middle of the lake -- too far away to get much of a photo. Both the male and female had drifted much closer to shore today, but that was only half of what I needed. Apparently, ruddy ducks do most of their feeding at night and like to sleep during the day. 

I watched the ducks for quite a while and almost gave up waiting for the male to show his colorful robin's-egg-blue beak. In fact, I had gone back to my bike to leave when he suddenly began to preen his feathers. The preening lasted for maybe ten minutes, after which the beak was tucked right back into its wing feathers and out of sight.

I made it home from my walk without getting rained on, but held off on the bike ride until this squall could pass by. Nevertheless, I did take a short ride out to Grandview Park to see if any rainbows would develop, but only this very pale critter showed up. I rode back home to wait out the rain and was disappointed to get a relatively light sprinkle while watching the radar indicate that a possible thunderhead was passing well south of my location.

Snoozing Ruddies

While I was watching the ruddy ducks, this little ruby-crowned kinglet popped up to forage in a bush right next to me.

The ruddy duck finally showed his distinctive beak when he untucked it to preen his feathers.

Grooming Ruddy Duck

I kept my camera on him in the hope that he would rise up and flap his wings as ducks often do when they're done preening, but this guy refused to cooperate.

A short rear-window timelapse from early this afternoon.

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