Well, Easter morning turned out to be one of the most epic birding days I've had in a while. Let me explain...We live along the Eagle River in Edwards, CO. I can look out my window and see the river and I drive by it everyday. There are always ducks but usually just the normal mallards and Canadian Geese. But, especially during spring migration, you might see something different. And that morning, I did.
I'm always excited when I see a lot of white on a duck or solid ducks. That normally means that they are something different than the common, resident mallards. I pulled up on the gravel shoulder of the road and I knew I was looking at something special. Not only were there a lot of ducks, there was a species to add to my lifelist: the Cinnamon Teal! And not just a pair...10 pairs!! They were beautiful! The deep rust color of their feathers and that red eye were a sight to behold! I was so excited! So, I started to scan the rest of the river. All of a sudden, I had seven different species in my binoculars. There were the Cinnamon Teal (10 pairs), Mallards, Green-Winged Teal, Gadwall, Northern Shovelers (3 pairs), American Wigeon and Common Golden-eye, not to mention the Canadian Geese!! What a morning!! I feel like I may have gotten lucky to be there at the right time in the morning not to mention the right day. Those type of days are what makes birding worth it!
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