Blue-winged Teal: Harbinger of Fall
Flock of all female Blue-winged Teal
Art Crowe
Photos by Mike Davis
The blue-winged teal is the first migratory duck to show up in Texas, usually in the first half of September. It is also one of the most numerous, second only to the mallard. Anyone who has tried to shoot one, either with a gun or a camera, can attest to the fact that they are one of the fastest ducks on the wing, if not the fastest. It is a strikingly beautiful little dabbling duck. The most notable features are the green speculum with a pale blue shoulder patch. Males have a distinct white chest on the face. Females are less colorful, scaled greyish brown with an off-white patch near the base of the bill.
Male and female Blue-winged Teal
They breed in the Northern Prairie region of the Dakotas, Manitoba, and eastern Saskatchewan. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) recently completed their annual survey of breeding duck populations in these regions. FWS and CWS sent 12 air crews and 5 ground crews to revisit routes that have gone relatively unchanged for the last 50 years. While overall duck numbers were down 4 percent from the long-term average (LTA), blue-winged teal were up to 6,480,000—a 27-percent increase over the LTA. This survey represents the breeding population at one point in time: May, 2022. Biologists also collected data on the number of ponds available in May. This was up 4 percent over the LTA. Many breeding ducks may attempt a second nesting before they head south with the changing of the season. This bodes well for the numbers of blue-winged teal you can expect to see this fall.
Blue-winged Teal and a bald cypress tree
Four males and one female Blue-winged Teal
So it was with these encouraging statistics that I set out on an early October teal hunt of my own. Only I didn’t bring my shotgun, but instead my camera. I was to meet two-time Naturescapes winning photographer Mike Davis for a sunrise photo shoot on the Plum Creek Soil and Water Conservation Lakes in Kyle.
Mike Davis at sunrise on Plum Creek, Kyle, Texas
So, I wasn’t terribly disappointed when we didn’t see any ducks. I had a chance to hang out with a great nature photographer and maybe pick up some tips. Tip number one: You got to show up early! You can’t get a sunrise picture in bed. Besides, this is the best time to shoot with a telephoto lens. If you sleep in, the heat of the day will cause pictures taken with a telephoto lens to be distorted.
Tip number two: A photo blind is not necessary, but they are relatively inexpensive (~$100) and they work really well.
Photo blind
Egrets
Tip number three: You got to be able to just enjoy being outside and not seeing any ducks. There are still kingfishers and egrets to shoot.
Tip number four: Get to know your area. For instance, you should know where to set up to get the best background.
Male Kingfisher
There was a solid row of houses behind the spot this male kingfisher liked to fish. So Mike set up in the only spot with another tree in the background, and we waited. He told me that this kingfisher usually lands on that branch right there. So we sat down and waited twenty minutes.
Tip number five: Bring a comfortable folding chair with you. Darned if the bird didn’t show up right where Mike said he would. You got to enjoy being right.
Last tip: Be persistent. In many ways, photography is like fishing. Usually, you must make a lot of casts before you finally catch a really good fish. But when you do, it’s all worth it.