{"id":112996,"date":"2023-04-28T02:40:56","date_gmt":"2023-04-28T08:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=112996"},"modified":"2023-04-28T03:43:31","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T09:43:31","slug":"drake-ruddy-duck-and-his-sky-blue-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/04\/28\/drake-ruddy-duck-and-his-sky-blue-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"Drake Ruddy Duck And His Sky Blue Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday morning, I had a real treat photographing a drake Ruddy Duck close to home. He was in his most dapper breeding plumage, including his sky blue bill.<\/p>\n

\"SpringSpring drake Ruddy Duck swimming in an urban pond \u2013 Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This particular drake Ruddy Duck has been at the pond for several months. Until yesterday, he has stayed out of reach of my camera lens. Once, I did have him within reach, but all he did was sleep. So, when he started swimming towards me, I was positively delighted.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Ruddy Duck showing his stiff tail \u2013 Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

As the drake Ruddy Duck<\/span><\/a> swam closer, I kept taking photos. At that time, I kept expecting him to turn away and pass by where I stood with my lens aimed at him.<\/p>\n

In this image, I was happy to see that his stiff tail was clearly visible.<\/p>\n

\"SpringSpring drake Ruddy Duck portrait \u2013 Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The drake Ruddy Duck surprised me and swam close enough to where I stood that I could take portraits of him. His blue bill, chestnut colored body, black cap, and white cheek patch seemed to glow in the morning light.<\/p>\n

I think I was holding my breath when I took these portraits. I was simply excited because this was the first time a wild Ruddy Duck had swam so close to me. Maybe I did forget to breathe a few times.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Ruddy Duck portrait in spring \u2013 Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Ruddy Duck turned in the water, I expected him to swim away from me. What happened next made me laugh out loud. He swam behind some rushes in the water and proceeded to perform a Bubbling Display. The entire time he performed this display, he had his eyes on me. I giggled about that and told him that even though I am single and free as a bird<\/em>, I wasn’t a duck<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Yes, I talk to birds and animals when I am in the field.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Bubbling Display is a courtship display but is also used by males as an aggressive display. I may have been standing near a female that has been hanging out with this drake. If she was there, she was well hidden in the rushes on the shoreline.<\/p>\n

\"SpringSpring drake Ruddy Duck up close \u2013 Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

A few moments later, the drake Ruddy Duck came back out into the open, and I took a few more photos of him floating on the water. When he turned and swam away, I thanked him out loud. I felt honored that he felt safe enough to allow me to take these images, which are my best and closest of the drakes of this species so far.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Ruddy Duck photos plus facts and information on this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday morning, I had a real treat photographing a drake Ruddy Duck close to home. He was in his most dapper breeding plumage, including his sky blue bill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":112983,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,2397,709,26],"tags":[4386,13860,4053,13861,4142,4753,4483,1129,126,4062,2398,10698,1984,4046,2447,165,9899,1283,6285,6707,8018,3996,2063],"class_list":["post-112996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-ruddy-ducks","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-blue-bill","tag-bluebill","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-bubbling-display","tag-close-up","tag-diving-ducks","tag-drake","tag-duck","tag-ducks-2","tag-male","tag-oxyura-jamaicensis","tag-park","tag-pond","tag-portrait","tag-ruddy-duck","tag-spring","tag-stiff","tag-swimming","tag-tail","tag-up-close","tag-urban","tag-water","tag-waterfowl"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ruddy-duck-drake-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-3947.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-tow","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":118573,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/11\/26\/urban-ruddy-duck-drake\/","url_meta":{"origin":112996,"position":0},"title":"Urban Ruddy Duck Drake","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Even though it was windy yesterday afternoon, I spent a few minutes with a Ruddy Duck drake in my viewfinder at my local pond. I hoped that he would get closer.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Urban drake Ruddy Duck, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ruddy-duck-drake-nonbreeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-8688.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ruddy-duck-drake-nonbreeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-8688.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ruddy-duck-drake-nonbreeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-8688.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ruddy-duck-drake-nonbreeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-8688.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":119186,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/12\/18\/ruddy-duck-drake-what-a-difference-20-days-makes\/","url_meta":{"origin":112996,"position":1},"title":"Ruddy Duck Drake – What A Difference 20 Days Makes","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Just 20 days can make a big difference in the way this Ruddy Duck drake looks. His bill is a lot bluer now than it was when I first saw him at my local pond.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ruddy Duck drake on December 15, 2023, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ruddy-duck-adult-male-december-mia-mcpherson-0364.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ruddy-duck-adult-male-december-mia-mcpherson-0364.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ruddy-duck-adult-male-december-mia-mcpherson-0364.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been paying a lot of attention to a drake Ruddy Duck at my local pond because he has gone into breeding plumage earlier than is normal for this species.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Drake Ruddy Duck almost in breeding plumage, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ruddy-duck-drake-getting-his-colors-on-mia-mcpherson-1969.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ruddy-duck-drake-getting-his-colors-on-mia-mcpherson-1969.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ruddy-duck-drake-getting-his-colors-on-mia-mcpherson-1969.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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