Winter is my favorite time to see ducks, and some really interesting ones can be found in the waters around NYC.
I was really excited to find this female Common Eider off the beach at Coney Island.
She is my first and I revisited her many times to get a decent photo. A random snow storm hit during one of my visits, which made photos nearly impossible, so I returned the following day and found her in the same spot.
I didn't have any luck seeing a male (they are black and white), but I was really happy to get good looks at this gal.
These ducks breed in the Arctic, so seeing them this far south is pretty special.
Common Goldeneyes usually show up in winter. The males appear black and white, but the dark head is actually a deep iridescent green.
These ducks are not uncommon, but they don't appear in large numbers here, so it's pretty cool to see one.
Long-Tailed ducks are some of my favorites, so I have posted photos of them before, and don't mind sharing some more. I find their plumages really interesting.
This is an immature male:
And this is an adult male in non-breeding plumage:
This one is not like the others. All the ducks above are diving ducks, and often found along the shore. Muscovy ducks are none of that. Most of the ones we seen in North America are domesticated versions, and can often be found in parks or lakes.
I like how varied they are in appearance. This is a male.
This is a female.
And these are Muscovy ducklings. Squeeee!
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