One of the benefits of visiting the park in May is the chance to view Harlequin Ducks. These birds are sea ducks that spend most of their lives in north-west coastal waters, but they travel to turbulent inland waters in the spring for breeding. Once paired, mated and nests built, the males leave to return to their coastal area, usually about late May to early June. Once the female has laid eggs, hatched them and raised the ducklings, they also return to the coastal area that the adult pair had come from.
The strikingly colorful male Harlequin
The more camouflaged female
Harlequin Ducks appear to prefer turbulent waters like those at LeHardy's Rapids on the Yellowstone River.
The mated pairs tended to stay close.
When we first visited Yellowstone Lake during this visit, there was still lots of ice that was beginning to break up. Here are some images taken on May 17th and 18th.
Just a few days later on May 22nd, the surface of the lake looked very different.
Art, I've run out of "thumbs" for giving "thumbs up" for all these wonderful photos!
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