"Won't You Reconsider?" Baikal Teal Couple (from Waterbirds in Love)

#6..."Won't You Reconsider? (Baikal Teal Couple)

The Baikal teals are flirtatious, coquettish in nature.  Given to only infrequent of the flashy displays seen in other ducks, this drake confines himself to standing proudly on a rock turning his back to would-be girlfriend. Though he is from southern Korea, he is named for his breeding ground, Lake Baikal the world's oldest and deepest freshwater lake, which curves for nearly 400 miles through south-eastern Siberia, north of the Mongolian border.

Water Birds in Love at Ct Audubon (Continued)

Hello again everyone.  In order to share the amazing pictures in our new exhibit, I'll will be sharing a few  several times a week. 

Good news! The Connecituct Audubon Society extended my exhibit until April 28 instead of ending it in Feburary as originally intended. 

The exhibit prints are numbered, so I'll list some chronologically, skipping those I listed already: 

3.  WHITE MANDARIN: "Fly Away With Me"

The White Mandarin is actually a mutation of the more brightly colored mandarin originating in China & now found in many captive populations. Like it’s more colorful cousin, it nests in tree cavities. The beautiful white mandarin couples are demonstrative & put on quite a show. This pair was photographed in Connecticut Waterfowl Trust, a non-profit sanctuary which unfortunately is no longer in operation.

4. GEESE & GOSLINGS: “Single File is my Style”

Processions of geese & their cute offspring is a common sight on Livingston Ripley’s beautiful grounds.  Here, many generations parade single file. Top: The Lesser White Fronted Goose (an endangered species from Russia), a Snow Goose Family (bottom) and in the middle,  a “mixed family” led by a visiting Canada Goose parades for us.

5.  Black Swan Pair Facing

Two black swans face each other, enjoying a quiet moment. The black swan’s origin is Australia & Tasmania & he is in fact the state bird of Western Australia. Like other swans, they are monogamous and pair for life. Underneath their mostly black plumage are beautiful white flight feathers which show during raised wing postures. They utter a musical and far reaching bugle-like sound.