Most people agree that the wood duck is our most beautiful duck in the U.S. So exotic looking. They are year-round residents in the Puget Sound region, but I had never seen one before. So when I saw this guy swimming towards the view platform at Twin Ponds Park in April 2015 I almost lost my composure I was so thrilled.
Unfortunately, between my excitement and only having been out a few times with my new camera, I didn’t notice the slow shutter speed while I was maniacally snapping pictures. I thought I had captured all kinds of great close-ups, only to discover once home that all but three of my photos were a bit fuzzy, and the three were only just barely okay. (Insert the quiet whimpering of a disappointed photographer wannabe here.)
Still a great looking bird though!
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It is a gorgeous bird! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one in real life either.
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Evidently they tend to like shallow water with lots of trees around. So they’re usually found in kinda swampy areas, or small ponds like this one. I didn’t know that until I was reading about them before posting this, but it explains why they aren’t seen nearly as often as ducks that like lakes. You’re more likely to see one on a hike in the woods than at a park. I saw two of them on another trip to Twin Ponds in the summer.
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