Ring-necked Duck

I went down to our fishing spot again today after work. It's so windy today, gusts are hitting 60 mph! I had planned on spending a while out taking pictures today, but I only managed a couple with the wind. It's just too hard to hold the camera steady on top of the fact that my hair was blowing into the picture and my eyes were watering and I really couldn't see!

Every once in a while, you'd get a little break from the gusts and that's when I took some shots. I saw the usual Canada geese there, as well as some mallards. But what caught my eye was this guy! He was pretty far away, and there was really no way of me getting any closer. I've never seen a duck like this, so I came home to do a little research.

This is a male ring-necked duck...he has a grey bill with a white band, a shiny purple head, a white breast, yellow eyes and a dark grey back. The adult female has a pale brown head and body with a dark brown back, a dark bill with a more subtle light band than the male and brown eyes. The cinnamon colored neck ring is usually difficult to observe, unlike the white ring on its bill, which is why the bird is sometimes referred to as a "ringbill".

These usually overwinter in the southern United States, so I was a bit surprised to see one up here in the northeast!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend!!