A Male Northern Pintail Preens

 

A pair of Northern Pintails, a male and a female, flew to the swampiest but most open area of ​​the Bear River. 

The female was very cautious and mostly hid in the thicket, but the male turned out to be braver. He even decided to preen his feathers on a small grass island.

Generally, life is good.

Drake Northern Pintail at Bear River MBR

This is my first drake Northern Pintail that I photographed two weeks ago at the Bear River MBR.  I have never had this opportunity before; usually pintails were so far away that the only thing I could do was watch them.

This handsome drake was not alone, he had a companion, a beautiful female Northern Pintail that remained rather shy and often hid in the vegetation.

Watching this bird was a real pleasure.  He was so lively and made me often smile.

 

It was very cold that early morning and the river was icy and slippery.  There was a time when the bird struggled to maintain its balance on the ice.

Generally, life is good.