A friend posted some photos of a Mandarin Duck she found in her yard, and I was so intrigued I drove over in the rain and commuter traffic to try to get a look.

It paid off. One of these beautiful birds was in Edgewater a few years ago, and I didn’t get a look at the time, so this was a good day.

A couple of other birds made the trip very worthwhile.

I was lucky to find this Spotted Sandpiper in the rocks near shore.

I don’t recall seeing a duckling eat a worm before.

A Mandarin Duck, often called the most beautiful of the ducks. Probably an escapee from a zoo, or a pet, as they are natives of Asia.