Blue-winged Teal -Life List

Blue-winged Teal are very unusual to see in Virginia, they usually migrate much further south but a small group has made Dutch Gap Conservation Area in Chester VA their winter home.  They have been maintaining a distance from the many, many birders who have flocked to DGCA to see them making it hard to get photographs but on this particular later morning I was lucky enough to see this beautiful female sunning, eating and swimming right off-shore near pier #1.  

Dutch Gap Conservation Area, Chester VA

Olympus OMD-EM1X,  Olympus 100-400 lens + MC-14

Gadwall in Flight

Captured these Gadwalls in flight last week.  I always have always thought that they are beautiful to watch. 

The second photo you may notice has a slight blur in the back right corner. That is actually a plane in the far distance either approaching or departing Richmond Airport. I didn’t plan it, but always like to see a contrast of stories in a photo like this.. ✈️ 

Dutch Gap Conservation Area, Chester VA
Olympus OMD-EM1X,  Olympus 100-400 lens + MC-14