At the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah last weekend I got a poor photo of a new first, a ruddy duck.
The ruddy duck is small, has a long stiff tail that is often held upward, has a slightly peaked head and a fairly short, thick neck. In winter they are dull gray/brown above and paler below with a dull gray bill. In summer they have chestnut bodies with bright blue bills. From photos at All About Birds, it appears that the duck in my photo is partially between a breeding and non-breeding male: the bill is bluish, but not the bright blue of breeding, and the body is not the bright chestnut color of breeding, but more than dull gray/brown.
Let no one accuse you of not paying attention to the little guy.
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