I just want to share this survivor with you. You don't have to look very close to see his wing is badly damaged. My friend and I first noticed him all alone after all the other shovelers had gone north, in the Spring of 2019. He's a permanent resident now, a survivor, and I'm always torn with compassion and joy when I see him - I'm happy he's still chugging along, but sad he's all alone. I was thinking he'd be happy now with all the migrant shovelers in town, and he has come to the specific area on the lake where they hang out, but he stays a bit aloof, a loner so to speak. Now that I recently witnessed the high-octane male behavior, it's pretty likely he doesn't want to get involved. But he's really handsome, on the other side you'd never know about his handicap. It's not too hard to single him out, as he doesn't head for the far side of the lake at first sight of a human like the others do. He's a survivor, he's adapted to what life dealt him. I can't imagine how his wing was so injured - it's possible he escaped a coyote, I have no idea. But he always makes me smile now, coming up on his third spring with us.

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Make:	SONY
Model:	ILCE-1
Exposure:	1/5000 sec
Aperture:	f/5.6
ISO Speed:	1250
Focal Length:	840 mm
Lens:	FE 600mm F4 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter