Green-winged Teals - Fall plumage

In the same pond as the Wood Ducks and the herons there were usually several if not dozens of Green-wing Teals. I have always been hesitant to put an s at the end of teal to indicate more than one but I guess that is the correct plural form. In any case the birds would tend to congregate there during high tide since the water in the river estuary was too deep to feed. The pond in effect was just a safe resting spot until the tide fell again. That all changed on October 8 when hunting season began and since that day I haven't seen a single bird in that spot. A few birds were starting to molt into breeding plumage but not any of those pictured here. It seems they are a little later in that regard than the Wood Ducks since they reach that stage by the first of October at the latest.