Up for air
Hunting for tasty nibbles, this long-tailed female - a medium-sized diving duck - kept breaking through the harbour ice on Lake Ontario. Here she had just come up for air, swam around for a bit and then...
About to go down again
headed back down. She could hold her breath for quite a long time and I could never be sure where she was until ishe came up through the ice again.
She was wintering here but will soon head back to the Arctic where long-tailed ducks breed.
FYI: It's the males that have the long tails.
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ReplyDeleteShe's a beauty!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite ducks, beautiful captures!
ReplyDeleteThat water must be sooo cold,yet it doesn't seem to bother these birds.
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to really like ducks from all the bloggers who post beautiful pictures of them, but I am very ignorant of duckland! This lady is very stately and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLovely! Quite a drama breaking through ice sheets.
ReplyDeleteHello pretty face!
ReplyDeleteA very tough duck! I had never seen this one before now.
ReplyDeleteshe's a beauty. thanks for explaining the males carry the namesake. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful bird. Very interesting too.
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful gift! To be able to watch her up close. Great shots you shared. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the FYI because I was beginning to wonder if this wasn't another one of those goofy names attached to a bird, like Purple Finch. I am still looking for the purple in these fellows who frequent our feeders.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting the duck on the thin ice.
ReplyDeleteI bet that water is freezing!
ReplyDeleteShe's pretty, but the males are downright beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSo pretty! (Looks cold though.)
ReplyDeleteA lovely specimen. I haven't seen this species yet this winter.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post and great captures. Quack! Quack!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know they were from the Arctic.
Very nice photos.
ReplyDeleteRegards and best wishes
Nice capture!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful duck! Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you clarified that tail business, because I was going to complain that this ducky did not have a long tail. But I would have done it quietly 'cause I wouldn't want to hurt her feelings about not having a long tail.
ReplyDeleteCute critter!
Ditto to all the comments here.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty duck!
ReplyDeleteGreat shots, I really like the little white rump, very pretty duck.
ReplyDeleteShe is a lovely girl and hard working too from the looks of it.
ReplyDeleteWhat great coloring.
ReplyDeleteLong-tailed Ducks are one of my favourites too. Your photo does them justice.
ReplyDeleteIntrepid duck!
ReplyDeleteDarla
Great captures!
ReplyDeleteWOW, great photos!
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