This photo was taken yesterday evening, around 6:00 pm, when a group of us (13?) got together at Frank Lake for a celebration of spring. Great company and great picnic food. Even a few birds to photograph, including this male Ruddy Duck, who was busy creating a mass of bubbles with his bill in order to impress a nearby female Ruddy Duck. We had sunshine, too, until it was time to go home, when the heavens opened and down came the rain, accompanied by streaks of lightning. Thanks, Brenda, for organizing this event that went so smoothly and was most enjoyable!

"Ruddy Ducks are compact, thick-necked waterfowl with seemingly oversized tails that they habitually hold upright. Breeding males are almost cartoonishly bold, with a sky-blue bill, shining white cheek patch, and gleaming chestnut body. They court females by beating their bill against their neck hard enough to create a swirl of bubbles in the water. This widespread duck breeds mostly in the prairie pothole region of North America and winters in wetlands throughout the U.S. and Mexico." From AllAboutBirds.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruddy_Duck

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ruddy_duck/id

A very early start to the day today, 28 May 2017, as it's the second day of the annual May Species Count. My small group will be spending all day SW of the city, searching and hoping for some good sightings.