Ruddy Duck (Breeding Plumage)

My first ruddy duck siting was at Bear River MBR in northern Utah. I posted on it March 4, 2021. On March 16, 2022 I did my second ruddy duck post, this time focusing on a male in breeding plumage at Lake Tamarisk in the Sonoran Desert of Southeastern California. I particularly like the second photo in that post which shows the duck in a "U" shape with the back tail erect in a "v" shape on one-end and the neck erect with the head angling downward on the other end. There were some good photos in that post, but the breeding plumage male was quite a distance away. On Tuesday, June 10,  I visited the Salton Sea State Recreation Area on the northeastern side of the Salton Sea in horrendously hot weather. Few birds were about. The only birds on the small harbor there were a couple of coots, some gangly looking female/immature pied-billed grebes and a good sized grouping of ruddy ducks, including two or three males in full breeding plumage. These males in breeding plumage are one of my very favorite birds and they were much closer than the Lake Tamarisk ruddy, so I share some photos. My first good close-up was a male swimming up the narrow channel into the main channel. Its tail was flat in the water and these two photos were my closest.

The rich chestnut  body and light-blue bill are gorgeous. 

The remaining photos were an attempt to get it in different positions although I got nothing as fun as the "U" shaped duck at Lake Tamarisk. 

From the back, no blue and very little white showing. Note that the tail is erect and I believe the rest of my photos show it erect.  

Now a little more angled with more white and the blue showing. 

With the head turned and the facial white and blue bill in full display.

Bill tucked back underneath back feathers with a female in the background doing the same. 

Now, from the opposite end, bill first and erect tail showing above the back of the head. 

Turned to get the full tail and full beak.

Note the lumpy head. It looks like it has two mildly sloped "horns". 

Beautiful duck. I can now cross a close-up view of the breeding plumage ruddy from my list.