{"id":19721,"date":"2015-02-07T06:05:36","date_gmt":"2015-02-07T13:05:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=19721"},"modified":"2021-11-24T11:28:15","modified_gmt":"2021-11-24T18:28:15","slug":"a-ruddy-duck-hen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/02\/07\/a-ruddy-duck-hen\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruddy Duck Hen"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RuddyRuddy Duck female – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I saw two Ruddy Duck females resting at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday with their bills tucked under their scapulars then one of them opened her eyes and decided to shake.<\/p>\n

\"RousingRousing female Ruddy Duck – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The females are sort of plain, most female ducks are, but I love watching and photographing these stocky, stiff-tailed ducks.<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Ruddy Duck starting to wing flap – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1926 J.C Phillips wrote this about Ruddy Ducks:<\/p>\n

“Everything about this bird is interesting to the naturalist, but almost nothing about it is interesting to the sportsman.”<\/p>\n

I guess everyone knows I am not a sportsman but a bird photographer who finds all birds infinitely interesting.<\/p>\n

\"RuddyRuddy female shaking her wings – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Ruddy Ducks are diving ducks and use their webbed feet to propel themselves under the water. I’d like to get an image with their feet showing because apparently they have the largest feet in proportion with their bodies of all ducks. (I found an image with the feet showing, you can see it here<\/a><\/span>)<\/p>\n

\"RuddyRuddy Duck hen with her body out of the water – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

They also lay very large white eggs that have a pebbly surface. Males do not help with brooding or raising the young.<\/p>\n

\"RuddyRuddy Duck female starting to settle back into the water – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though the females are plain I like the stripe that goes through their cheeks and their dark eyes in the dark cap .<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Ruddy Duck with a feather on her bill – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of the time the Ruddy Ducks I see at are Farmington Bay WMA<\/span><\/a> are simply resting so when they preen or fluff up I enjoy the action.<\/p>\n

\"FluffedFluffed up Ruddy Duck female – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This series of Ruddy Duck hen images took just a little less than 8 seconds and then she tucked her bill back under her scapular and closed her eyes again.<\/p>\n

Life is good and just ducky at times.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

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

This series of Ruddy Duck images took just a little less than 8 seconds and then she tucked her bill back under her scapular and closed her eyes again. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":97614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1022,697,2397,26],"tags":[4004,4753,1129,126,4070,4309,4359,4094,2398,3199,2447,9864,4502,3996,2063,4095,4489,3200,5498,373],"class_list":["post-19721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-ruddy-ducks","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-diving-ducks","tag-duck","tag-ducks-2","tag-female","tag-fluffed-up","tag-hen","tag-marsh","tag-oxyura-jamaicensis","tag-rousing","tag-ruddy-duck","tag-settle","tag-shaking","tag-water","tag-waterfowl","tag-wetlands","tag-wing-flap","tag-wing-flapping","tag-wings","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ruddy-duck-female-rousing-mia-mcpherson-0080.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-585","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":97563,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/11\/24\/ruddy-ducks-in-flight\/","url_meta":{"origin":19721,"position":0},"title":"Ruddy Ducks In Flight","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A few days ago I saw someone say that they rarely saw photos of Ruddy Ducks in flight and I remembered I had a series of them flying past taken 11 years ago.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Flock of Ruddy Ducks in flight, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ruddy-ducks-in-flight-mia-mcpherson-5493.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ruddy-ducks-in-flight-mia-mcpherson-5493.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ruddy-ducks-in-flight-mia-mcpherson-5493.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ruddy-ducks-in-flight-mia-mcpherson-5493.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":112996,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/04\/28\/drake-ruddy-duck-and-his-sky-blue-bill\/","url_meta":{"origin":19721,"position":1},"title":"Drake Ruddy Duck And His Sky Blue Bill","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 28, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spring drake Ruddy Duck portrait, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ruddy-duck-drake-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-3947.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ruddy-duck-drake-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-3947.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ruddy-duck-drake-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-3947.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ruddy-duck-drake-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-3947.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11597,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/12\/06\/photos-that-make-me-laugh-ruddy-duck-female\/","url_meta":{"origin":19721,"position":2},"title":"Photos That Make Me Laugh – Ruddy Duck Female","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 6, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Some times when I open a photo I took I can't help but laugh for various reasons, in this case when I opened the file the pose of this Ruddy Duck female just \"quacked\" me up.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Ruddy Duck shaking, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ruddy-duck-female-funny-mia-mcpherson-4658.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ruddy-duck-female-funny-mia-mcpherson-4658.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ruddy-duck-female-funny-mia-mcpherson-4658.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ruddy-duck-female-funny-mia-mcpherson-4658.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48509,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/09\/18\/ruddy-duck-hen-in-golden-evening-light\/","url_meta":{"origin":19721,"position":3},"title":"Ruddy Duck Hen in Golden Evening Light","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Ruddy Duck hen was photographed at a pond close to where I live during the evening hours and I loved the golden light on the bird and on the water.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ruddy Duck female in evening light, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ruddy-duck-female-mia-mcpherson-2497.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ruddy-duck-female-mia-mcpherson-2497.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ruddy-duck-female-mia-mcpherson-2497.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ruddy-duck-female-mia-mcpherson-2497.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27496,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/08\/18\/it-is-getting-duckier-at-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":19721,"position":4},"title":"It is Getting Duckier at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the past couple of weeks I have noticed that Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is getting duckier. I am seeing more ducks in the water and flying over head now than I had in July.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Slightly odd looking Redhead, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-drake-mia-mcpherson-8002.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-drake-mia-mcpherson-8002.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-drake-mia-mcpherson-8002.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/redhead-drake-mia-mcpherson-8002.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":118573,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/11\/26\/urban-ruddy-duck-drake\/","url_meta":{"origin":19721,"position":5},"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":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}