Winter Diver

                           This female eider was spotted in Wollaston Bay after the ice melted.

Eiderdown Time!

This common male eider will have no problem staying warm while floating in frigid Quincy Bay because of its feathers and the coatings on the feathers.  The downy feathers from the female of this species is used to line the nest of new offspring. Iceland is the biggest producer and exporter of eiderdown. The down is not plucked from the bird but gathered from the nests after the offspring leave which makes eiderdown a rare commodity and very expensive.  An eiderdown duvet may last 40 years and is considered an heirloom in many families.  Sleeping under one is like sleeping under a warm cloud which will be what I will be doing tonight as the temperature plunges below zero!

Bed Head?

                      Caught this male red-breasted merganser between dives near Nut Island.

Winning Profile

                            This male mallard let me get close to capture his striking profile.

Make Way . . .

This handsome mallard was spotted dabbling in Blacks Creek.

A Ducky Day

A sure sign that spring is coming is this pair of American Black Ducks that were spotted on the Neponset River.  The male has the yellow bill.

Bad Hair Day

This red breasted merganser's tufts of head feathers reminds me of my youngest son's untamed head of hair when he was little.

Arctic Visitors

This raft of common eiders were spotted in the flooded marshes near Squantum causeway.  The males are white and black; the females are mottled brown.  I hope they hang around for a while and molt - my eider down quilt could use a few more downy feathers.  Have a ducky weekend!

Duck Drama

A pair of buffleheads (below) are challenged by an intruding male (above) at Blacks Creek.

Stay Together & Follow Me!

Mrs. Mallard took her four ducklings for a swim in the Squantum estuary.

Travel Tuesday: Delray Beach, Florida

Duck, turtle and fish were having quite a frolic at the Morikami Museum and Roji-en Japanese Gardens.  I added a little post processing to bring out the markings on the carp.  Carpe Diem!

Duck, Duck, Dinner!

Duck hunting season has begun along coastal waterways in Quincy.  I met Lee yesterday in a phragmites blind along Blacks Creek.  He lives in Quincy and told me that he has been duck hunting for 30 years and eats what he shoots.

This busy recreational area is enjoyed by people of all ages and interests.  To ensure a safe environment for all, it might help if signs were posted about hunting season to inform a largely unaware public about this activity . . . it couldn't hurt.

"Just Ducky"

This post is for you, Karen. Hope you are having a ducky kind of day!

This is also my contribution to Monochrome Weekend. Click here to see more black and white images from around the world.