My Ducks Have Returned to Carolina Beach Lake!! (Plus a New Visitor)

I truly felt like I had returned to Lake Mattamuskeet when I stopped at Carolina Beach Lake on the way to the grocery store.  I ALWAYS carry my camera with a telephoto lens when ever I leave the house!!  I know from experience that when I don't, I will see something awesome!!  Here is the usual group of Mallards at Carolina Beach Lake with a Northern Pintail in the middle!!  I had never seen a Pintail in this lake in all the years i have taken pictures there.  He was a gorgeous specimen too and came over pretty close to me.  Notice the Carolina blue skies reflecting on the lake.  Yesterday we were visited with a horrendous Nor'easter which produced incredible waves and probably another five or six inches of rain after we had a lot just several days before.  There were ponds and pumps everywhere today.  

The male Mallards really are pretty and colorful especially in the bright sun.

Here is the aforementioned Northern Pintail.  I don't think I have ever gotten as good a picture of one!  He is a dabbling duck and was constantly with his rear in the air!

This is a male Bufflehead.  You can see his iridescent head with all the sunlight!  He and his female friends were diving like crazy.

This is a male Lesser Scaup.  There were again quite a few of them at the lake.

This is the female Lesser Scaup who was following around after the  male.  She has some algae on her back from the constant diving.

I am continuing on the Albers quilt and will have pictures with my next post.  It is coming slowly and I haven't decided how big to make it yet so will just continue making blocks.  Right now I am just using the fairly solid looking hand dyes.  I am thinking I may add some marbled fabrics and make only one row of color around them.  Like to make things a little unpredictable.

I have read that not only have the Snow Geese left Mattamuskeet but that the Tundra Swans are also heading north.  Glad we got to visit last week and didn't have weather like yesterday!!