While traveling to Tunica on Sunday, I noticed a ton of ducks still hanging around the small ponds and swamps along the sides of Highway 61.

The ducks that really stood out were the shovelers. They have their full breeding plumage this time of year, and they really look beautiful.

They have dark green heads, long black bills, a white chest area and brown flanks. Some people refer to the flanks as “chestnut” or “copper.”

But those are paint-store terms. To me, they’re brown.

Anyway, if you’re an amateur photographer and you’re looking for a good picture of a shoveler, now is the time and Tunica is the place.