These ten Black-bellied whistling ducks were photographed recently by Kevin Ripka at Riverlands park in Luzerne Co. Pennsylvania. The birds are extremely rare in PA being indigenous to the Rio Grande Valley and southern California. I've seen them in Texas and was forunate to see them a few days ago in Pennsylvania:
They're lovely birds.
Speaking of lovely birds, this little beauty is a Golden-winged warbler. They nest in brushy areas like power-line cuts from northern Pennsylvania up into Canada. I was in the Poconos a couple of weeks ago and one was flitting around the tree just a few feet in front of me. Gorgeous.
