Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) are small sea ducks that I sometimes observe during the winter in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The males have a large white patch on their heads that makes them relatively easy to identify. From a distance these males often look to be black and white. When the sun is shining from the right directions, as it was last week when I captured this image, you can see that their heads are actually a glossy green and purple that really helps to set off their distinctive white patches.
In addition to being able to see the colors, the straight-on angle of this shot shows the odd shape of the head of this bufflehead’s head. It may be a bit of an optical illusion, but it looks to me like the lower portion of its head is considerably bigger than the upper part.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
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