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.
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…
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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.