The highlight of my walk along the Salado Creek Greenway on Monday (January 28, 2013) was a very large flock of black-bellied whistling ducks. In addition to the less than ideal light from the overcast sky, an additional complication involves the editing of all the photos I took of this flock.
One bird in particular provided an excellent opening in publishing this large set of photos. I think there are two qualities of this species of duck that are generally the most noteworthy: they are ducks that don't quack and they are spectacularly beautiful in flight.
While I was photographing the flock, a number of the birds took flight, but there was one in particular that stood out from all the others:
Its a privilege to see them very rare indeed..they are a tall duck..but the whistling is cool when they fly...I worked on a ranch for several years in Medina County where they would return every year and roost in the same tree..they would hang for a couple of months before moving on..
ReplyDeleteTony Kustelski
Tony, thank you for your comment. The black-bellied whistling ducks have actually been extending their range further north over the past decade or so. With the improvements in bird habitat here in Bexar County over the same period of time, these ducks are now year around residents. They are indeed a very fascinating bird.
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