Mike in the Wild

After spotting a lone male wood duck at Granada Park last spring, I've enjoyed return visits in hopes of finding other surprise visitors.  Like many urban parks in the Phoenix area, Granada is home to man-made lakes that provide a year-round safe habitat for water fowl like mallards, ring-necked ducks, American coots and even a few domestic ducks that have escaped a fate on our dinner tables.  Besides the wood duck, I've spotted other migratory water fowl like common mergansers and goldeneyes at the site.  On a spontaneous visit this week I was excited to encounter two new birds in the park's lower pond, both male canvasbacks joining in the mix of ducks crowding a bank location where visitors regularly feed them.  They stood out because of their bright white backs and glowing red eyes, not to mention a certain wariness as they seemed to mostly linger on the flock's perimeter.  Apparently early English settlers considered the bird's color to be close to the hue...