2025 Ducks - Part 3

While going through my photo backlog from this last year, I came across a trove of more duck pics. 

These were the first Canvasbacks I've ever seen up close. The male and female pair were very obliging as they hung out in the Hudson off Riverside Park. 

The male's bright red eye is really striking.

The female is a bit less flashy, but still cool looking.

I'd say Wood Ducks are our most spectacular native duck species. They're easily found in Central and Prospect Parks.

The male (above) gets a lot of attention for his colors, but I really like the more subtle beauty of the females. 

This female not-so-common Common Merganser was spotted in Prospect Park. They are not exactly rare, but it was special to see her in the park lake. I normally see them offshore.

Coney Island is my favorite place to see Long-Tailed Ducks. 

 

This is a female: 

Here is the male with his long tail:

It's easy to overlook Mallards because they're everywhere, but come on, look at that gorgeous emerald head on the male!

Females might look dull in comparison, but...

I watched this one hop out of the water and put on a show as she preened.

Her blue patches and brown color pattern resembled a kaleidoscope as she twisted around.

I wish I was this flexible...

The symmetry of her feathers is so pleasing. This was probably my favorite shot of the day.

NYC Raptor Fest 2025

I'm way behind posting bird photos this year and, in the chaos of everything going on, I totally missed posting about Raptor Fest, which took place in Marine Park, Brooklyn, this last October.

Bobby Horvath of WINORR and several volunteers shared a variety of raptors, including eagles, owls, hawks, and falcons. Below are a few of my favorites.

This is Montana, an adult Bald Eagle. 

This is Diana, a Red-Tailed Hawk. I had the honor of letting her use my arm as a perch a few years ago.

She's a beauty.

This is Denver, a Golden Eagle.

Cosmo, the Barn Owl, was popular with the spectators.

I've forgotten the name of this Raven, so will have to attend next year to find out.

It shows us its nictitating membrane:

The festival was held outside and, at one point, an immature wild Bald Eagle flew directly overhead to check things out.

As it was raining, the lighting was terrible for these shots, but the eagle came close enough to see well without binoculars. 

The unexpected eagle excited the crowd, but the birds on display didn't seem disturbed. After circling 3-4 times, the eagle glided away towards Jamaica Bay.

 

You can see previous Raptor Fest posts here.