Anna's Hummingbird (Female)

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The Wood Duck. Introduction.

Many years ago I received a gift from my Mom and Dad. It was a pretty big box. When I opened it I found 7 books inside. The books were in the size of encyclopedias and had silver titles - " The life of animals". Each book was talking about different creatures: mammals, fishes... and of course one book was about birds! There I was introduced to the most spectacular duck for the very first time. I returned to the article and photo so many times!

I almost learned it by heart! But time has past. I grew up...medical school, army, work, immigration to Israel...The book was lost and I forgot about my favorite duck!

However, a few years back I found myself in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Here my passion to nature came back and when I read a birding guide I came across a photograph of THAT duck! Yes, it was a photograph of the spectacular WOOD DUCK!

The Wood Duck and the Mandarin: The Northern Wood Ducks



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Relaited posts:

Related articles

• Mystery bird: wood duck, Aix sponsa (guardian.co.uk)
• Into thin air (nextdoornature.org)
• Bring your birding to the next level [Greg Laden's Blog] (scienceblogs.com)
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Walking on the Dyke. Part III ( American Bitern).

Sturgeon Banks is a 21,525 acre estuary located on the banks of the Fraser River and Strait of Georgia. It is an important part of the Pacific Flyway, with 1.4 million birds migrating through the area annually and provides excellent habitat for nesting birds. The long expanse of marsh that makes up Sturgeon Banks runs from Terra Nova in the north to Garry Point Park in the south, it is adjacent to the West Dyke Trail and extends west out into the Strait of Georgia.
Visit this area often as the seasons change to view the landscape's transformation from lush, green marsh grasses to its sepia, honey toned winter colour and flocks of Snow Geese.
The popular West Dyke Trail provides excellent view of the Sturgeon Banks marshes, distant Howe Sound mountains, and the Gulf Islands along a 5.5 km path between Terra Nova and Garry Point Park.


The American Bittern showing it's perfect camouflage.

European Starling (Juvenile).

Seagull

Bald Eagle.

This photo was taken at the West Dyke in Richmond, BC, Canada. A pair of Bald Eagles has nested there for a long time, The nest is pretty close to a trail and you can see them almost all time.
Bald Eagle Lifts the Spirits of the Nation in Kane Miller Civil War Picture Book

Common merganser

This merganser is regularly seen along raging streams or chunks of ice in winter lakes. You can find large flocks in winter, often facing the same direction. It obtains food by diving in deep water. However, it also seen in shallow water.

Female can be confused with female Red-Breasted Merganser.

Mallard & Waterlilly