Wood Ducks – Spellbinding Eye Candy!

It is getting cooler in Prescott and ducks are flying in from the Arctic area (too cold with no food there!)   So Peter and I went birding to see how many ducks and what kinds were arriving.  Today we saw Mallards, Shovelers, Canvasbacks, Ring - Necked Ducks, Lesser Scaups, American Wigeons, Ruddy Ducks, Buffleheads and one Green - winged Teal. 

Then I spotted the eye candy!  Three Wood Ducks swimming in a man-made waterfall area at the entrance to a housing development – a place one would not expect to find them since they like secluded areas like wooded swamps.  The one male and two females caused us to stop the car, get our binoculars and just stand there looking!

 The colors on the females were blended so that the blues slid into the greens and browns and then the blue green on their heads caught the sunlight.  It was such a rich color that I just wanted to touch. There was a delicate white pattern around their eyes and an elegant shape to their heads.

The male coloring is dramatic, outlined, and strong in hue and saturation. They are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather.  What female could resist that?

When I looked closely at how all the patterns on these ducks’ feathers were joined and intermingled together, I realized I should expand the texture on my jewelry.  Start watching for this on new pieces!

Nature’s eye candy always inspires me!