Return to Main Page   Dakota Birder Blog    

Bufflehead Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite: Waterfowl in general are extremely difficult to get close to in South Dakota. They're extremely wary, and typically flush long before you get within photo range. The vast majority of the waterfowl photos out on my website were taken from some kind of blind, be it my chair blind that I sometimes plop down on a shoreline and wait for birds to come by, or very often, just using my car as a blind.  However, at Dewey Gevik Nature Area, there's a wonderful permanent blind that sticks out into a large wetland complex, complete with slots with windows that flip up so you can see out and take photos. In the spring, it's an absolutely fantastic place to get close photos of waterfowl.  Bufflehead are perhaps one of the less shy waterfowl in the state (although it's all relative), but still...there's little chance I could have gotten a photo like this without the use of some kind of blind. This was on a wonderful, calm, sunny morning at Dewey Gevik just after dawn. It's not only one of my favorite Bufflehead photos, it's one of my favorite photos of all time, with the warm morning light keeping contrast down enough that I could maintain some detail in both the blacks and whites, and get some of that gorgeous iridescence to show up. Taken on April 4th, 2015.

Bufflehead 13 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 1 - Bucephala albeola Bufflehead 2 - Bucephala albeola  Bufflehead 3 - Bucephala albeola  Bufflehead 4 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 1

Bufflehead 2

Bufflehead 3

Bufflehead 4

April 11th, 2010 

April 11th, 2010

December 18th, 2008 

December 18th, 2008 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Sutro Baths, San Francisco, California 

Sutro Baths, San Francisco, California 

Drake on cloudy morning, showing iridescence 

Male spreading wings, with reflection 

Profile of a female on rippled water

Profile of a female on rippled water 

Bufflehead 5 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 6 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 7 - Bucephala albeola 

 Bufflehead 8 - Bucephala albeola

Bufflehead 5

Bufflehead 6

Bufflehead 7

Bufflehead 8

April 11th, 2010 

December 18th, 2008 

December 18th, 2008 

April 11th, 2010 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Sutro Baths, San Francisco, California 

Sutro Baths, San Francisco, California 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Male taking flight, with splashes from the feet 

Side profile view of a female, with reflection 

Female profile 

Two drakes vigorously fighting and splashing 

Bufflehead 9 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 10 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 11 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 12 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 9

Bufflehead 10

Bufflehead 11

Bufflehead 12

April 11th, 2010 

April 11th, 2010 

April 11th, 2010 

April 1st, 2012 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Two males fighting and splashing on the water's surface 

Drake and reflection on a sunny morning

Drake spreading its wings on the water's surface 

Profile of a female on a cloudy morning 

Bufflehead 13 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 14 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 15 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 16 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 13

Bufflehead 14

Bufflehead 15

Bufflehead 16

April 4th, 2015 

April 4th, 2015

April 4th, 2015 

April 4th, 2015 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Dewey Gevik Nature Area, South Dakota 

Drake on sunny morning with bright iridescent plumage on head 

Profile of a drake on a bright sunny morning 

Profile of a drake on a bright sunny morning  

Drake showing iridescence on head and neck on bright sunny morning 

Bufflehead 17 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 18 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 19 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 20 - Bucephala albeola 

Bufflehead 17

Bufflehead 18

Bufflehead 19

Bufflehead 20

April 4th, 2015 

March 29th, 2020 

March 29th, 2020 

March 26th, 2017 

Dewey Gevik Nature, South Dakota

Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Western Minnehaha County, South Dakota 

Female  on sunny morning, with partial reflection 

Male bird on slightly rough waters Male on slightly rough waters Female profile on rippling waters

Click here for the species description page for the Bufflehead.

All photos copyrighted!  Click for information on commerical usage, or usage for other personal purposes.

Nature Photography - Done Naturally - Click for info

 Use the following Google dialogue to search this South Dakota Birds and Birding site:
Custom Search

SOUTH DAKOTA BIRDS AND BIRDING - LOCATIONS OF WEBSITE VISITORS

Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl