On November 16th we finally got the chance to go again to Whitaker Pond. The area was teeming with wild waterfowl, beavers, and more. Most of these shots are impressions: the wild birds kept their distance, but the color and the light along with the wildlife made heart-wrenching vistas that I want to share.
This could be a female Ring-Necked duck!
I'm pretty sure that these are male Ring-Necked Ducks because of the head shape, eye color, and stripe across the bill. And they dive for food, they don't dabble.
From afar I caught this cormorant basking in the evening light. He had just come up from a deep dive. But this picture is really about the beauty of the day: autumn colors reflected across the water, many happy creatures, lovely light.
Plowing across the pond came this beaver. He had greens in his mouth, which made a startling contrast with the orange and brown stripes reflected off the trees.
And at the edge of the pond, he took his rest.
I first took this for a female mallard but she has no blue wing stripe that I can see. I'm not sure who she is. Any ideas out there?
I hope you enjoyed these shots. The reflected light and color, plus the shyness of the wild birds challenged me, but I hope that when you see these you will feel a little of the joy I felt just enjoying the view.
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