Picture This Too

I have discovered that Blue- and Green-winged Teal can be devilishly hard to film. They spend so much time sucking mud that they hardly come up for air. So most of the time, you can see their eyes, but their bill is underwater. The only reason I was able to capture this image of a handsome drake and two hens is because they decided to move to a different location.

This image shows a male Green-winged Teal with his mahogany-colored head and the mottled mate revealing the green on her wing. Yes, the green really is that color. Neon green would not be a misnomer. The reason I chose this image, though, is to compare their size to the two resting sandpipers. These are very small ducks.

I know it is just old dead grass, but some of the edges of the pond and their reflections are just beautiful. You can see how the cryptic patterns on the Snipe and Yellowlegs can make it difficult to spot these birds — especially when they are up against the grasses.

The marsh pond is an ideal location for Osprey parents to raise their young. They hardly have to leave their nest at the top of a utility pole on the edge of that road in the background to spot fish in the pond (foreground) or Bay (background). This female is cleaning her talons by dragging them in the water as she glides close to the surface.

This is a good angle on an Osprey showing how the wing can be articulated to enhance it's flight. The way it has cupped the inner half of the wing can really accelerate the bird in a controlled dive. In this photo, the eyes do it for me. You get a sense of the intense concentration in spotting a fish.