In my opinion there’s nothing more beautiful than some of the patterns on the ducks that loaf here.  Here are some of my favorites from last week:

Blue-winged Teal

Green-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler

Wood Duck

Hooded Merganser

We had a mild winter here in south-central Illinois, and spring arrived early!   Redbuds, dogwoods, and spring wildflowers are 2-3 weeks ahead of a “normal” year.  The birds must know something, because the hummingbird and waterfowl migration is well under way.  Our nectar feeders are ready but we haven’t seen a hummingbird yet– we heard reports of sightings  50 miles away in Olney.  The Brown Thrashers are back and building their nest in the holly bush right outside our living room window—as usual.  Some of my favorite ducks have been loafing on our wetlands:   Wood Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, and Mallards.

Here are some recent images from my blind at the Daybreak Wetland: 

Hooded Merganser in wetland

Wood Duck in Wetland

Canada Goose before sunrise in wetland

Northern Shoveler at sunrise