Migrating birds are starting to arrive in my area, including a few Ring-necked ducks (Aythya collaris) that I observed last week in a man-made pond in a nearby suburban housing area. The water in my local marsh tends to be too shallow for these diving ducks, but this pond seems to suit them pretty well.
The ducks tend to stay near the center of the pond, which makes them a little challenging to photograph. These shots were taken from a distance, but they let you see some of the beautiful details of the male Ring-necked duck, including the pattern on his bill and his beautiful golden eyes.
If I have the good luck that I had last year, I look forward to seeing and photographing another half-dozen species of ducks in the coming months.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Those eyes are really striking. Nice shots!
Thanks. The colors of the eyes really make them stand out. I had to crop the shot a lot and was afraid the eyes wouldn’t show, but they turned out pretty well.
I’ve never seen these kind of ducks, remind me of a Loon. Beautiful pics
Thanks. I have never seen a loon, but hope to some day.
Northern Minnesota, Boundary Waters…..you’d love it!!
They are beautiful! Never seen these ducks before. Nicely photographed despite the distance challenge! 🙂
Those are much nicer most – once again the eyes have it. Since most of the ducks have left these parts, and there was thick frost on the roof this morning, I presume they have headed your way.