From my balcony, I have been watching and photographing another one of my ‘backyard’ birds for a couple months now, a female Canvasback.
Because she is still here in Maryland and had not migrated to the northwest U.S. and Canada to breed, and she looked healthy, I knew that she was probably injured.
I instantly smile when I see her, swimming around, in and out of the marinas, going up and down the length of the creek. I named her Cassie.
Female Canvasback “Cassie”
I also love watching Cassie take her ‘baths’, she looks like she enjoys them so much. It was when I first saw her dunking and stretching that I observed Cassie’s right wing was severely damaged.
Despite her injury, here’s a beautiful Canvasback bathing in a nine-frame slideshow!
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Female Canvasback enjoying a few dunks and stretches. Notice her injured right wing.
To get out of the creek periodically, Cassie uses marina ladders and woodwork under the docks and around the bulkheads. Here she can preen and rest a little out of the water.
Female Canvasback resting on a marina ladder.
Female Canvasback preening on another marina ladder just below me.
Cassie is a welcomed sight, no matter the weather.
A shower begins to fall on Cassie.
With her disability, Cassie will have it rough the rest of her life as she continues to survive the challenging world surrounding her.
I will continue to enjoy the opportunities I get to watch Cassie. She’s a sweetheart.
