Saturday Critters #630

 Have we really done this 630 times before now...I think we have.

A big thank you to Eileen who brings all us critter lovers together and hosts

Saturday Critters

You will be happy to know that I left the house, braved the cold and visited

Lake of the Lilies

I needed pictures for today and I have not visited the lake since the winter ducks have arrived.

Male Gadwall

This is a duck I only see during the winter and quite honestly, I don't know if I have ever seen him before.

This is considered to be a familiar and "understated" dabbling duck.

They favor shallow ponds and lakes.

American Black Duck

Males and Females have a similar look...but the females bill is a greenish color.

This duck is familiar on the east coast.

The first picture "may" be a male, and the second a female

This is a Female Merganser, 

seen here in New Jersey only during the winter

Male Merganser

looking very different than the female, it is also only here in the winter.

Female and Male Merganser

I watched this Egret for some time and it was not about to come out of hiding.

I have always read that The Great White Egret heads south for winter.

This is not the first time I have seen them in winter, so who knows.

If I had wings, I would not hesitate to fly to Florida for winter.

This is the Egret as seen from the other side of the lake...super far off in the distance.

The Mallards were a bonus, I didn't even see them when I took the picture.

 

Sharing today's images with Eileen at 

Viewing Nature With Eileen 

for Saturdays Critters