I’m hoping to find a Ruddy Duck today. Haven’t seen one for years. Ducks don’t exactly float my boat when it comes to two-fisted birdwatching. But this particular one is always worth a look.
The Ruddy Duck is not the reason that as a city kid I got interested in birds. The first Cardinal was. Spotted in a black & white street scene, standing out like a cherry on a sundae, something that grabs a kid’s attention.
But the Ruddy Duck, while not the reason I got into birdwatching, still confirms that this is a cool pursuit. Surprising, challenging, even philosophical. See, the Ruddy duck, like that Cardinal, surprises with inexplicable color.
“Ruddy” means “reddish,” right? But although it might be reddish, there’s an un-named color thing going on that makes you want to spot it.
A bright blue bill.
No idea why. The great duck designer in the sky simply painted this bird’s bill…BLUE. Out-of-left-field blue. A bit of avian mischief. (Like that crazy plume on a Gambel’s Quail. What’s that about!)
And this makes the somewhat tame activity of waterbird watching a little more interesting. How’s it “philosophical?” We understand natural selection, survival-based coloration, all that, but why a blue bill? You have to wonder: the essence of philosophy.
Whatever. It’s just another kick in the tricky sport of two-fisted bird watching. First time around, you want to spot this bird and add its stupid name to your life list. Next time, like today, you just hope to see the Ruddy Duck again, and get a look at that crazy bill.
I’m ready for a Ruddy!
Blue lipstick to enhance the natural blue of a tumescent duck. Indicates engorgement of the bill and other organs. Blue Boy is saying he’s ready for mating, as Rickey Gold suggests.
Apparently it’s a tough guy thing…..like Marlon Brando’s white t-shirt with the cigarettes in the rolled up sleeve. Male Ruddies have a blue bill during mating season to attract females. The rest of the year, it fades to a grayish color.