Wood Duck

Aix sponsa

"The male in breeding plumage, with his shimmering colors and sleek crest, can be mistaken for no other... Wood ducks inhabit bottomland swamps and open woodlands near ponds and rivers ... They nest locally in eastern Texas."

"The female has a short crest and a distinctive light teardrop-shaped patch around the eye."

I noticed them about the first of the year, and they are still present in April.

Photo taken with a Nikon D80 using a Nikon 400mm, f/5.6 lens.

November 8, 2008