Yesterday with the exception of one lone goldeneye, only the mallards had rediscovered that the Coast Guard Cutter Alder had broken the ice in the Duluth Ship Canal. Today the goldeneyes moved in, and they put on a stellar performance. I had hoped this might be the case, and had held off doing any bird photography this morning in hopes both the sun would come out, and the ducks would perform. I was lucky on all counts. Enjoy all the photo sequences. Burst mode photography is a wonderful asset.

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Flapping Wing

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Diving Sequence #1

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Courtship: Two’s Company … Three’s a Crowd!

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Shake, Rattle and Roll

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Diving Sequence #2

We’re home in Duluth! Better yet, there are signs of Spring. This morning around 10:00 a.m. the US Coast Guard cutter made its first trip out into the lake, and broke ice through the canal. Within three hours the duck population that had been wintering miles away in some open water discovered the canal was open. This means excitement if you are a duck, and the sides and bottom of the canal provide good eating opportunities. This photo was taken at 1 pm, and mallards and a few golden eyes were arriving in droves.

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