American Wigeon
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
On a day that was set aside for the famous tufted ducks that frequent Quidi Vidi Lake in wintertime, the only bird that ever cooperated was a species I could have stayed home to find. Where I live, one can go to any wetland, pick up a rock, throw it, walk to where it lands, and look around; there's probably an American wigeon nearby. To rub a bit of salt in the wound, I couldn't even get the one wigeon drake with unique "storm" markings —completely yellow cheeks instead of dappled brown, a variation present in around one of every hundred males— to cooperate! Like the tufted ducks and Eurasian wigeons, he couldn't be bothered to go to the good spot in front of the camera. Eventually, this drake swam by as he was getting a sip of water from the lake, and I was ready to take anything I could get.