Comments

  1. rq says

    I love the colours in these, they’re all so low-key yet saturated, until you get to the last photo and it’s no longer low-key. :D

  4. fledanow says

    Are those their winter colours? I’ve only seen them in the summer in southern Ontario, and they are bright yellow then and there.

  6. fledanow says

    Thanks, Caine. I’ve only seen them from a distance and never when I have my monocular handy. Either I haven’t seen females, or they have been too far away for me to notice their delicate colours.

    Now that my kid is all grown up, I have to start getting out bird watching again. I’ve gotten back into hating early mornings more than loving the anticipation of their beauty. I’ve never seen a pen and ink drawing more exquisite than the details of the feathers on a PinTailed duck.

    p.s. I love that obnoxious yellow. :)

  7. Kengi says

    These are in transition from summer to winter colors. Over the past several days (of very cold weather) they have now completely lost their brighter yellow which was still hanging on around their faces in these shots. I have trouble spotting the differences between the males and females in the winter.

    Here’s a shot of a male in full summer glory.

  8. fledanow says

    Oh, so those are the males with the lovely apricot chests! Damn, I wish they could handle -40C! It is wonderful to have your fabulous photographs instead, though, so I have no complaints.

    My old memory is beginning to kick out an image of a kind of greeny-yellowy-browny bird with the same black and white wings as the male, and that has to be the female. I don’t think I have ever seen a juvenile, not being there at the right time. I hate this being old business because my brain is so wonky. Anyway, I remember them now, so all is not lost, at least not permanently.

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