The first time Ron and I saw a male Ruddy Duck in breeding plumage we were surprised by its bright baby-blue bill. It's hard to believe that colour of blue actually is real and not something you would just see in cartoons. But it isn't just the male's bill that strikes me as cartoonish. The male has an odd way of vibrating/bobbing his head during his courtship display. To me this looks like some invivisble hand has reached out and twacked its bill causing it to vibrate. I could sit and watch their antics for ages. Certainly everytime we pass through the Morse area of Saskatchewan we drive by the same sloughs to see if there are any about.

To see more images click: Ruddy Ducks