At our stop yesterday at a fresh-water pond in the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, there were also roughly a dozen female Bufflehead ducks.

Bufflehead-1

Bath time!  The male of this species is especially striking, but today there were only female ducks.

Here are a few more shots of this duck…

Invalid Displayed Gallery

A few tidbits from All About Birds:

  • The Bufflehead nests almost exclusively in holes   excavated by Northern Flickers and, on occasion, by Pileated Woodpeckers.
  • Unlike most ducks, the Bufflehead is mostly   monogamous, often remaining with the same mate for several years.
  • The Bufflehead lays eggs more slowly than most other   ducks, commonly with intervals of two or three days between eggs.

You can click the top image for a larger view.