Blue-winged Teal Pair Lifting Off

Blue-winged Teal pair lifting off from Miner’s Cove – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/1250, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Canon RF 100-500mm at 500mm, natural light

Last week while sitting at Miner’s Cove at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in my vehicle, I focused on a pair of Blue-winged Teal and caught the two of them lifting off from the water. The teal had been feeding but something flushed them.

Blue-winged Teal feed by dabbling at the surface, submerging their heads, or tipping their bottoms up to reach food deeper in the water.

In Utah, I didn’t see this teal species often; here I see them all the time. I think they are stunning dabbling ducks, though they can be quite skittish at the refuge.

Blue-winged Teal do nest in Oklahoma, even though they’re mostly thought of as migrants passing through. Their main breeding range is up on the northern prairies, but in wet springs they’ll stay and raise young here too.

There are occasional nesting records, especially in the northern part of the state, showing they’re one of the few duck species that will breed in Oklahoma.

Mallards and Wood Ducks definitely nest at the refuge and I am hoping to obtain more Wood Duck photos this breeding season. I know some the Wood Ducks are already incubating eggs.

I’d love to have both Wood Duck and Blue-winged Teal ducklings in my viewfinder this spring or summer!

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Blue-winged Teal photos plus facts and information about this species.