Female Shoveler

This gorgeous Female Shoveler has been visiting one of the local ponds for several days now. Hopefully her mate and a few friends join her soon otherwise she will leave and take a bit of her beauty with her.

Female Merganser

This lovely lady popped right out of the water in front of me. She was not the least bit timid around us.

Egret in Flight

Egret flying over Dutch Gap Conservation area

Merganser Couple

First visit to Huntley Meadow Park was fantastic and will definitely be visiting again. Greeted by these two just at the start of the first pond let me know it was going to be a great day!

Female Mallard

Portrait of Female Mallard just after foraging along the lake.
Three Lakes Park, Richmond VA

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