I was pleased to get this image of a male Northern Shoveler. That wide-ended bill is quite unique and impressive! My Birds of Oregon book says that they are 'generally common winter residents throughout Oregon.' That explains why I am seeing them now.

"You can't fail to be impressed by the Northern Shoveler's remarkable bill. Its broad, spatulate shape and the hair like ridges that line in allow this duck to sift small water plants and invertebrates from the surface of still waters, where it is by far the most common duck. Shovelers eat much smaller organisms than do most waterfowl, and their digestive systems are elongated to prolong the digestion of these hard-bodied invertebrates." (Birds of Oregon)

In a world gone mad, wildlife remains a constant pleasure, for me at least. I find the wonders of creation very humbling. We can learn much from the beauty and balance seen in the natural world.