Just a few photos taken this past week along the Detroit River here in Wyandotte. Cold weather continues and the snow doesn't let up. Good news is that the ice pack on the river continues to concentrate waterfowl and Bald Eagles around Mud Island at the foot of Southfield Rd., so there is a silver lining.
This poor immature male Red-breasted Merganser may be frozen to the ice. The blood pooling next to it and underneath does not appear to be from a recent meal. Hopefully he'll survive.
A pair of drake Common Goldeneye were foraging next to the Wyandotte Municipal Boat Launch, so I took a few photos from inside the car. One fella kept diving next to the dock, so I waited until he went under and hopped out to get a few pics when he surfaced. He was not at all pleased...
A single Horned Grebe was swimming relatively close to shoreline at John Dingell Park, so I attempted a few digiscoped images during the late afternoon. When wind-chills are below zero the air itself freezes enough to make sharp images from anywhere but the closest distances.
I did have some nice luck w/ this female Common Merganser!
This Ruddy Duck female paddled slowly out from the shoreline and offered a few closeups.
Finally, a quick look at the local Herring Gulls indicate that they are not quite sporting their (gorgeous) spring plumage. Still handsome, though...
