caption: Female American Wigeon Swimming in a Pond
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "The American Wigeon (Mareca americana), also called a baldpate, is a medium sized dabbling duck found in North America. The breeding male, or drake, has a mask of green feathers around its eyes and a cream-colored stripe running from the top of its head to its bill. The hens are much less distinctive with gray and brown plumage. Both males and females have a pale blue bill with a black tip, a white belly, and gray legs and feet. It nests on the ground, under cover and near water, laying 6?12 creamy white eggs. The American Wigeon is migratory, breeding in all of North America except the extreme far north. Wintering areas include the Central Valley of California, Washington?s Puget Sound, the Texas Panhandle and the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. This American Wigeon female was photographed while swimming in a wetland at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge near Olympia, Washington State, USA.", "Image Copyright": "JeffGoulden"}