Hey Lady!
An American wigeon drake gives his lady the business. It wasn't obvious to my human eyes exactly what her transgression was, but after a few seconds of shouting they returned to feeding quietly in the shallow waters of Horse Lake.
February 6th, 2011
I arrived early with the fog, which soon lifted to reveal a day both cloudy and surprisingly warm. I spent the first couple of hours at Horse Lake, a small pond at the start of the auto tour, delighted with the opportunity to finally photograph the beautiful American wigeon. Wigeon are common at Ridgefield during the winter but I had always struggled to photograph them.
I made this note in my journal later in the day:
"Took me almost five hours to make my first loop of the auto tour. Sadly I don't think that's even close to being a record for me."
It was a good day.
Tipping Point
This American wigeon drake shows off his dabbling technique, tipping forward with his head underwater, eating plant life from the floor of the lake, while kicking with his webbed feet to hold his position.
