Birders regularly recall the trigger bird that stopped them in their tracks and awakened their curiosity about the avifauna. While I can’t name one particular trigger species, I owe my fascination for feathered friends to the manifold ducks that migrate to Alaska during the summer. When my husband and I called this northernmost state home in the early 2000s, my interest was aroused whenever we chanced upon colorful waterfowl on the myriad bodies of water that pepper the state. I went so far as to invest in a guide book to Alaskan birds, and even owned a CD with recordings of regional birdsong, but being rather consumed by professional life then, I birded only incidentally.
Ducks, geese and assorted additional water-associated avians are rewarding for beginning birders because their size makes them visible on the water’s surface, and they commonly stay in one place for extended periods, facilitating their proper identification. Now that we no longer live in “The Last Frontier” with its legendary biodiversity, I regret not having dedicated more time to ornithological pursuits there.
My fondness of ducks, nonetheless, abides. It so happens that within walking distance of our current residence in Colorado Springs, two lakes provide habitat for assorted waterfowl.
Quail Lake with view of Pikes Peak
Doubletree Pond with view of Cheyenne Mountain
I did not acquire a digital camera until we were in the process of closing our Alaska chapter, and consequently don’t own electronic photos of the beautiful winged creatures encountered there. Instead, I would like to share pictures of some of the visitors of these urban oases in Colorado Springs who, likewise, have stolen my heart. Unlike other birds, they stay (or arrive) here in winter and help brighten the darker days.
Mallards are our most common ducks…
…and Canada Geese our most common geese
Northern Shovelers have spatulas for bills
Hooded Mergansers are spectacular in…
…and out of the water
Common Goldeneye, I wonder why
American Wigeon, aka “bald pate”
Doubletree Pond in winter
This, of course, does not qualify as waterfowl, but when I saw this white dove at the Doubletree Pond on January 1, it embodied all my hopes: Peace on Earth for this new year.
Klicken Sie bitte hier für die deutsche Version/click here for the German version:
tanja britton 
Klasse Fotos ,von Ente die ich bei uns nur selten zu sehen bekomme .Danke fürs Zeigen
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Herzlichen Dank für Dein Interesse!
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Birds are cool!
If I had to pick my fave from among your photos, I think it would be the Common Goldeneye. Very striking.
Take care —
Neil
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Thank you, Neil. It is striking, but somehow, they are all my favorites. 😊
Best,
Tanja
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A beautiful photo to end on and begin the next. Happy New Year! Wishing you a 2018 filled with adventure and the pleasures of birdwatching.
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I appreciate your visit and your good wishes which I would like to return. I know my wish for peace is naive, but I continue to cling to it as everything else is simply too depressing to imagine.
Best,
Tanja
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Beautiful variety and wonderful reflections, Tanja! How nice to have two ponds within walking distance. 🙂
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Thank you, Donna. I feel very fortunate, on so many levels.
Happy birding (ducking).
Tanja
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Was für Schönheiten ! Tolle Fotos, auch gerade die mit den Kanadagänsen und deren Spiegelungen im Wasser. Und eine ganz schöne Entenvielfalt. So viele verschiedene sehe ich hier im Raum Hannover nicht. Das Goldeneye ist ja auch hübsch. Liebe Grüße, Almuth
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Danke, liebe Almuth. Die Enten machen einfach gute Laune.
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Das tun sie, die hübschen Wasservögel 🙂
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What a wonderful array of bird life.
You’ve definitely got more water birds on your nearby ponds than mine, although if I walk further along my nearby river to the next wetlands they are readily seen.
Both Quail Lake and Doubletree pond look like great walking destinations for observing bird life.
Even though we don’t have them here in Australia (of course), I love Canada Geese. I seem to see them in so many films through my adult life, they are beginning to seem like old friends.
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Thank you for reading and for commenting, Vicki.
I never grow tired of waterfowl, they seem so content, even if they are doing the same activities over and over. I find it soothing to watch them dabble or dive, quack or gabble. And when a flock of Canada Geese takes off or arrives, it is a lovely pandemonium. 🙂
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How lovely that you live in such a beautiful surrounding full of different kinds of birds. The photos are all so beautiful – watching birds is so therapeutic and interesting.
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Thank you, Pooja. Birdwatching in general and duckwatching in particular are definitely therapeutic! 🙂
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I agree! I realized that in my trip to Svalbard in Arctic Circle last year. I particularly enjoyed watching puffins 🙂
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Any dove that mysteriously shows up, has to be a blessing.😎❤
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You are so right! Thank you. 🕊
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Lovely shots, I love the mergansers
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Thank you, Kelly. They are among my favorites! 🙂
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