Just Ducky!

 

Prasan Shrestha, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

We've had a couple of decent rains lately so I decided this morning I would go out looking for ducks. With the lack of water, I haven't had much luck recently.

As it turned out, it was a good morning. I have a number of chores that need to get done today, so I didn't take a lot of time. I started at the Lake Wichita spillway. The lake is still far from full, but it is coming up some. There were lots of ruddy ducks, some buffleheads, coots, gadwalls, mallard, Canada geese, and a lone northern shoveler.

Then I went down to the boat ramp and picked up some green-winged teal.

I took a run down W. Rathgeber Rd to get to Crestview cemetery. Although this road is a dump for glass bottles, there are a few small tanks along that road and the largest one had several ring-necked ducks. At Crestview I saw my favorite duck, the northern pintail (see the photo). They are such an elegant looking bird. Unfortunately, there was only the one, but I was happy to see him. That's the first one I have seen this winter.

Then I took a quick swing by Stone Lake. Not much going on there this morning, but I did add pied-billed grebes. Overall, a good morning.

Good birding!