Birds in Flight - Part 4

Time for a few more birds on the wing.  Since we are living on a National Wildlife Refuge that is known for wetlands and waterfowl, many of the birds-in-flight opportunities are ducks and their allies. 

One of the interesting things about images of ducks in flight is that you get to see the wing patterns and colors. On this Cinnamon Teal drake you can see the pale blue on the forward edge of the wing and the metallic green on the trailing edge. If you go back to the duck banding blog you can see the same pattern even more closely.

I got several pictures of Gadwall. Probably the least flashy duck that we have, but good practice with the camera.  Where the Cinnamon Teal has green and blue in the wing, the Gadwell has a simple white patch.  

The largest ducks on the refuge are Mallards.  The have a brilliant blue/purple wing patch that is edged with bold white bars. You've got to love the mountains in the background!

It isn't all ducks in the marshes.  There are relatively few waders here compared to Texas, but we do have a few Snowy Egrets, with their wonderful "Golden Slippers".

There is a large breeding population of White-faced Ibis at the refuge.These photos show the "White Face" that gives them their name, and also the glossy plumage that seems to change from bronze to green depending on how the light hits them.

Mark