Environment:
Start Time: 7:50 AM Temperature: 54 degrees Sky: Sunshine and light breeze.
All I have to say is that it was a spectacular morning in the Rock Canyon area. Starlings and Wood Ducks were the most visible actors. Today’s featured image is a couple of Wood Duck Drakes planning their assault on the Arkansas River. Below a Wood Duck Hen is headed skyward. Also posted is an adult European Starling having a look out the front door of the nest. It’s a long way to the ground. River activity was low but a couple of notable swimmers are in the mini-gallery at the bottom of this post. Strangely there were no Swallows zooming around and the two Barn Swallows that headlined yesterday’s post were not working on the nest – they may have gotten a better deal elsewhere.
Sightings:
Birds: Mallards, Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, Canada Geese, Osprey, American Robin, European Starlings, Double-crested Cormorants, White-crowned Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Turkey Vultures, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Flicker, Blue Jays, Red-winged Blackbirds, Hooded Mergansers
Critters: Orange Sulfur Butterfly
Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Panasonic Lumix 100-300mm
Pied-billed Grebe reflecting on the Arkansas River at Lake Pueblo State Park, Colorado April 20, 2022 
Hooded Mergansers enjoying the Arkansas River at Lake Pueblo State Park in Colorado April 20, 2022