One Crazy Looking Duck!

I spotted this crazy looking duck at Lake Morton in Lakeland, FL, over the weekend. I'd seen them before, but never gotten any decent pictures. I think these are pretty good, except for the fence he's sitting on, but you can't have everything. Check out that green helmet of feathers on the top of his head, and my book refers to those white lines on his face as dual chinstraps. I guess they're there to hold the helmet in place when he flies. And fly he did when I got within 20 feet of him. Out into the water he went, where I guess he felt safer.

Once out in the water, he started making his weird, squeaky quack. And he'd extend his neck each time, like he was making the noise through some sort of stretching. Compare the length of his neck above and below, and you'll see how it changes. The book called this Florida's most colorful duck, and I'll have to agree with them. This puts my poor blue-winged guys to shame.