{"id":5856,"date":"2013-02-03T19:09:48","date_gmt":"2013-02-04T00:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?p=5856"},"modified":"2013-02-04T05:11:02","modified_gmt":"2013-02-04T10:11:02","slug":"gadwalls-at-thomas-point-state-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?p=5856","title":{"rendered":"Gadwalls at Thomas Point State Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fhughvandervoort.com%2F%3Fp%3D5856&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n<p>The weatherman was calling for &#8220;AM Snow&#8221; last night, so I was pleased to see a little sunshine around 9:00, and I headed out to Thomas Point to take advantage of it. I&#8217;ve been sticking close to home lately to save a little time and gas money, and it&#8217;s working out well so far.<br \/>\nI got a distant image of the Bald Eagle who eluded me yesterday, and I was very pleased to find a pair of Gadwalls, a duck I&#8217;ve only seen once before. After finding very few more birds, I headed over to Quiet Waters and found a few nice ducks.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5857\" style=\"width: 702px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5857\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5857\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5857\" data-attachment-id=\"5857\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5857\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Gadwall-2.jpg?fit=692%2C488&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"692,488\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Gadwall \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;From Wikipedia:&lt;br \/&gt;\n&amp;#8220;The Gadwall breeds in the northern areas of Europe and Asia, and central North America. In North America, its breeding range lies along the Saint Lawrence River, through the Great Lakes, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Dakotas, south to Kansas, west to California, and along coastal Pacific Canada and southern coastal Alaska.[2][4] The range of this bird appears to be expanding into eastern North America. This dabbling duck is strongly migratory, and winters farther south than its breeding range, from coastal Alaska, south into Central America, and east into Idaho, Kansas, Ohio, Virginia, and then south all the way into Central America.[2][4] Its conservation status is Least Concern.[1]&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Gadwall-2.jpg?fit=584%2C412&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Gadwall-2.jpg?resize=584%2C412&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Gadwall \" width=\"584\" height=\"412\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5857\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Gadwall-2.jpg?w=692&amp;ssl=1 692w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Gadwall-2.jpg?resize=150%2C105&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Gadwall-2.jpg?resize=425%2C300&amp;ssl=1 425w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5857\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From Wikipedia:<br \/>&#8220;The Gadwall breeds in the northern areas of Europe and Asia, and central North America. In North America, its breeding range lies along the Saint Lawrence River, through the Great Lakes, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Dakotas, south to Kansas, west to California, and along coastal Pacific Canada and southern coastal Alaska.[2][4] The range of this bird appears to be expanding into eastern North America. This dabbling duck is strongly migratory, and winters farther south than its breeding range, from coastal Alaska, south into Central America, and east into Idaho, Kansas, Ohio, Virginia, and then south all the way into Central America.[2][4] Its conservation status is Least Concern.[1]<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5862\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5862\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5862\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5862\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-19.jpg?fit=1168%2C624&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1168,624\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Red Breasted Merganser \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-19.jpg?fit=584%2C312&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-19.jpg?resize=584%2C312&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Red Breasted Merganser \" width=\"584\" height=\"312\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5862\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-19.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-19.jpg?resize=150%2C80&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-19.jpg?resize=500%2C267&amp;ssl=1 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5868\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5868\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5868\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5868\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-20.jpg?fit=1588%2C896&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1588,896\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Red Breasted Merganser\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-20.jpg?fit=584%2C330&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-20.jpg?resize=584%2C330&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Red Breasted Merganser\" width=\"584\" height=\"330\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-20.jpg?w=1588&amp;ssl=1 1588w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-20.jpg?resize=150%2C84&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-20.jpg?resize=500%2C282&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-20.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5870\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5870\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5870\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5870\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-21.jpg?fit=1212%2C684&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1212,684\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Red Breasted Merganser\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-21.jpg?fit=584%2C330&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-21.jpg?resize=584%2C330&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Red Breasted Merganser\" width=\"584\" height=\"330\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-21.jpg?w=1212&amp;ssl=1 1212w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-21.jpg?resize=150%2C84&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-21.jpg?resize=500%2C282&amp;ssl=1 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5860\" style=\"width: 1390px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5860\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5860\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5860\" data-attachment-id=\"5860\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5860\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-16.jpg?fit=1380%2C864&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1380,864\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Red Breasted Merganser\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;There was an early Osprey reported at Quiet Waters yesterday, but I didn&amp;#8217;t find it. I settled for this pair of Red Breasted Mergansers.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-16.jpg?fit=584%2C366&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-16.jpg?resize=584%2C366&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Red Breasted Merganser\" width=\"584\" height=\"366\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5860\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-16.jpg?w=1380&amp;ssl=1 1380w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-16.jpg?resize=150%2C93&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-16.jpg?resize=479%2C300&amp;ssl=1 479w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-16.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5860\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">There was an early Osprey reported at Quiet Waters yesterday, but I didn&#8217;t find it. I settled for this pair of Red Breasted Mergansers.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5864\" style=\"width: 1242px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5864\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5864\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5864\" data-attachment-id=\"5864\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5864\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Lesser-Scaup-44.jpg?fit=1232%2C764&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1232,764\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Lesser  Scaup\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Wikipedia:&lt;br \/&gt;\n&amp;#8220;The Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) is a small North American diving duck that migrates south as far as Central America in winter. It is colloquially known as the Little Bluebill or Broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill. The origin of the name scaup may stem from the bird&amp;#8217;s preference for feeding on scalp &amp;#8211; the Scottish word for clams, oysters, and mussels, however, some give it credit to the female&amp;#8217;s discordant scaup call as the name&amp;#8217;s source.[1] It is apparently a very close relative of the Holarctic Greater Scaup or &amp;#8220;bluebill&amp;#8221; (A. marila), with which it forms a superspecies.[2]&amp;#8221;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Lesser-Scaup-44.jpg?fit=584%2C362&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Lesser-Scaup-44.jpg?resize=584%2C362&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Lesser  Scaup\" width=\"584\" height=\"362\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5864\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Lesser-Scaup-44.jpg?w=1232&amp;ssl=1 1232w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Lesser-Scaup-44.jpg?resize=150%2C93&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Lesser-Scaup-44.jpg?resize=483%2C300&amp;ssl=1 483w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Lesser-Scaup-44.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5864\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wikipedia:<br \/>&#8220;The Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) is a small North American diving duck that migrates south as far as Central America in winter. It is colloquially known as the Little Bluebill or Broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill. The origin of the name scaup may stem from the bird&#8217;s preference for feeding on scalp &#8211; the Scottish word for clams, oysters, and mussels, however, some give it credit to the female&#8217;s discordant scaup call as the name&#8217;s source.[1] It is apparently a very close relative of the Holarctic Greater Scaup or &#8220;bluebill&#8221; (A. marila), with which it forms a superspecies.[2]&#8221;<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5866\" style=\"width: 1170px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5866\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5866\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5866\" data-attachment-id=\"5866\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5866\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-37.jpg?fit=1160%2C752&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1160,752\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Mallard \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The interplay of light and water is fascinating.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-37.jpg?fit=584%2C379&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-37.jpg?resize=584%2C379&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mallard \" width=\"584\" height=\"379\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5866\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-37.jpg?w=1160&amp;ssl=1 1160w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-37.jpg?resize=150%2C97&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-37.jpg?resize=462%2C300&amp;ssl=1 462w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5866\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The interplay of light and water is fascinating.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5872\" style=\"width: 2058px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5872\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5872\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5872\" data-attachment-id=\"5872\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5872\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-38.jpg?fit=2048%2C1104&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1104\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Mallard \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Still water with Mallards. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-38.jpg?fit=584%2C322&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-38.jpg?resize=584%2C315&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mallard \" width=\"584\" height=\"315\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5872\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-38.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-38.jpg?resize=150%2C80&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-38.jpg?resize=500%2C269&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-38.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-38.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5872\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Still water with Mallards.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5874\" style=\"width: 422px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5874\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5874\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5874\" data-attachment-id=\"5874\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5874\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Hooded-Merganser-40.jpg?fit=412%2C348&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"412,348\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hooded Merganser\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The only time this Hooded Merganser got closer, I scared him off.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Hooded-Merganser-40.jpg?fit=412%2C348&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Hooded-Merganser-40.jpg?resize=412%2C348&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hooded Merganser\" width=\"412\" height=\"348\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5874\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Hooded-Merganser-40.jpg?w=412&amp;ssl=1 412w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Hooded-Merganser-40.jpg?resize=150%2C126&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Hooded-Merganser-40.jpg?resize=355%2C300&amp;ssl=1 355w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 412px) 100vw, 412px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5874\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The only time this Hooded Merganser got closer, I scared him off.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5878\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5878\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5878\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5878\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-40.jpg?fit=1420%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1420,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Mallard \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-40.jpg?fit=584%2C421&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-40.jpg?resize=584%2C421&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mallard \" width=\"584\" height=\"421\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-40.jpg?w=1420&amp;ssl=1 1420w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-40.jpg?resize=150%2C108&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-40.jpg?resize=416%2C300&amp;ssl=1 416w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-40.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5876\" style=\"width: 906px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5876\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5876\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5876\" data-attachment-id=\"5876\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5876\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-39.jpg?fit=896%2C656&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"896,656\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Mallard \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Many birds were flying about, so I stayed a while to try for some flight photos.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-39.jpg?fit=584%2C428&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-39.jpg?resize=584%2C428&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mallard \" width=\"584\" height=\"428\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5876\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-39.jpg?w=896&amp;ssl=1 896w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-39.jpg?resize=150%2C109&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mallard-39.jpg?resize=409%2C300&amp;ssl=1 409w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5876\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Many birds were flying about, so I stayed a while to try for some flight photos.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5881\" style=\"width: 606px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5881\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5881\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5881\" data-attachment-id=\"5881\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5881\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Bald-Eagle-74.jpg?fit=596%2C352&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"596,352\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Bald Eagle\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bald Eagle:just to prove I saw him.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Bald-Eagle-74.jpg?fit=584%2C345&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Bald-Eagle-74.jpg?resize=584%2C345&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Bald Eagle\" width=\"584\" height=\"345\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5881\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Bald-Eagle-74.jpg?w=596&amp;ssl=1 596w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Bald-Eagle-74.jpg?resize=150%2C88&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Bald-Eagle-74.jpg?resize=500%2C295&amp;ssl=1 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5881\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bald Eagle:just to prove I saw him.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5886\" style=\"width: 602px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5886\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5886\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5886\" data-attachment-id=\"5886\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5886\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-39.jpg?fit=592%2C456&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"592,456\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Long Tailed Duck\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Ever wonder why it&amp;#8217;s called, &amp;#8220;Long Tailed&amp;#8221;?&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-39.jpg?fit=584%2C450&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-39.jpg?resize=584%2C450&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Long Tailed Duck\" width=\"584\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5886\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-39.jpg?w=592&amp;ssl=1 592w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-39.jpg?resize=150%2C115&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-39.jpg?resize=389%2C300&amp;ssl=1 389w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5886\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ever wonder why it&#8217;s called, &#8220;Long Tailed&#8221;?<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5887\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5887\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5887\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5887\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-40.jpg?fit=736%2C548&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"736,548\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Long Tailed Duck\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-40.jpg?fit=584%2C435&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-40.jpg?resize=584%2C435&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Long Tailed Duck\" width=\"584\" height=\"435\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5887\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-40.jpg?w=736&amp;ssl=1 736w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-40.jpg?resize=150%2C111&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Long-Tailed-Duck-40.jpg?resize=402%2C300&amp;ssl=1 402w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fhughvandervoort.com%2F%3Fp%3D5856&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The weatherman was calling for &#8220;AM Snow&#8221; last night, so I was pleased to see a little sunshine around 9:00, and I headed out to Thomas Point to take advantage of it. I&#8217;ve been sticking close to home lately to &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?p=5856\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mybirdingday"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2xu3W-1ws","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5856"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5890,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5856\/revisions\/5890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}