One of the best places to get great looks at many species of ducks is by the Lyndhurst Nature Preserve in DeKorte. With most of the tidal impoundments frozen over, the ducks are hanging out in great numbers in relatively small spaces — like this raft of Canvasbacks late Monday afternoon.

   In the past two days we have also seen Gadwall, Black Duck, Shoveler, Common Merg, Hooded Merg, Pintail, (2) Green-winged Teal and Mallard. (Might have had a Ruddy, too, but …).

    That's 9 species (and often as many as four species at a time), not far from the visitors' parking spaces near the Administration Building (second building on your left).

   Click "Continue reading…" for some more recent shots from the same area.