Due to the hot water discharge from the Otto E. Eckert Station power plant, Moores Park along the Grand River in Lansing, Michigan is a favorite birdwatching place as waterfowl gather in the warm waters in the deep cold of winter.
And that’s where I was this weekend, searching for waterfowl. I wasn’t disappointed, it was a great place for birdwatching!
As I was leaving the park, I saw a flock of ducks waddling up the snow bank from the river shoreline.
I paused for a moment to watch them, impressed with their ability to walk in the deep six to eight-inch snow without a problem.
Snow that had me stumbling as I hiked in Moores Park, part of the Lansing River Trail.
Thinking the contrast of their bright colors against the snow would make a nice winter photo, I quickly took some shots of the birds.
I didn’t realize I caught the Mallard Duck and the American Black Duck in a side-by-side comparison until I came home and started reviewing my photos.
The American Black Duck is sometimes misidentified as a female Mallard; they travel and hybridize together. But I managed to catch a photo where I can easily compare the two birds’ features.
Pure chance I caught the shot of the two birds together.
Three minutes later, the birds flew back to the warm waters of the river.
