Cool little duck we have nesting on wetlands around here. They do a cool bubble display where they puff up their chest when beat it rapidly with their bill pushing out air in the feathers which make bubbles to impress the ladies (and photographers).
Cool thing happened yesterday when I was photographing them, had a Snapping turtle come up and grab a drake and pull him under never to be seen again. Happened so fast I wasn’t able to get camera on the action in time.

Outstanding photos Tray. I'd say you are getting the hang of the photography thing!

OUTSTANDING!!! I especially like that you educate us along the way (with the bubbles scenario). Thanks!

Jack

one of the most interesting inland ducks there is....Stiff Tailed ducks.
They have one of the largest eggs vs body size of the bird.
The eggs are round and not conical like other eggs
one of the very late nesting ducks at that. I remember in Alberta finding new nest made mid July on our marsh nest egg searches

Beautiful birds indeed Tray. One of my favorite birds in full plumage. This one came from a friend in California. Killing one in duck season fully plumed is extremely rare to the point taxidermists won't take them due to legality

I wished the drakes would come into plumage during duck season. I want a full plumage drake for the wall. Down here even in the last part of season the drakes are just ugly. Great pictures!

Great pics, thanks for sharing.

Especially if you take it to the taxidermist in April!!!! :-)

Great pictures only harvest maybe 6 in my life cool diver

Such cute little ducks , with their tufted eyebrows too….I would have shot that turtle.

Thank you, Tray.

Guarantee if I shot one like that and planned on mounting it I would want the warden with me in the blind. Don’t think I would ever believe it was legal.

Around where I live they are pretty rare. Such a cool duck! Really neat photos! Thanks for sharing!

You have to document document document. Time stamps on pictures, documented witnesses, videos, heck even take the bird to the taxi still warm. Luckily my buddy in California is a taxidermist himself, so he had no explaining to do. But still has all the documentation to prove it

Sort of like shooting a full colored Bluewinged Teal in Alabama. A unicorn.

What is interesting is that in Europe they are an invasive species and the goal was to eliminate them because of the cross breeding of the White faced Stiff tail duck which is endangered.

For some reason that red sure seems high-lited on that specimen.

Another fact is their feathers sure do not pluck out like puddle duck feathers

Show me a good Ruddy duck hunter and I will show you a guy who’s not afraid to swat his birds in the water.LOL

Exactly Tray...well said.
They will swim into decoys before they fly into one.....if you think a Common loon needs a long take off on the water.....a Rudy needs twice the distance.

Funny story; was out one week end a couple of kids see us pull up the the landing with a canoe full of birds. They asked " Is that all you need...a.canoe" Yup
So end of next weekend there they are loading up a canoe...and a wee-bit-on the wet side. They were so please they got a duck (Ruddy) but there was a wee hole in their canoe.
Questioned ;What happened ? they paddled out in the dark ...got lost...saw a duck swimming and shot...picked it up...and ...the excited partner said it;s still alive....so out came the 12 Gu and poof; head-less duck ...but a wee hole in the bottom....and a flooding canoe
Do you know how long it takes to paddle a full canoe 2 miles....50 year later I still chuckle
To top it off when they were loading the canoe on dads vinyl top car it slipped and ripped a 18 inch tear
For some reason I have never seen those guys back in the marsh
they side stepped Hunter Safety Training

Have only shot one (40 years ago) and it wore a band.
Do not recall any more details.
Great pics!

Excellent post. Great pictures and very interesting. The part about the snapper taking a drake was really interesting. I've seen ducklings taken in similar fashion in Canada but by northern pike (I think).

Ruddy's are rare here in Pennsylvania, I've never seen one and didn't know about the bubbles. Thanks for sharing!

cool post thanks for sharing