Spring has arrived, the days are warm and the sun is setting, its golden rays bringing a peaceful glow to the marsh, catching the pair of pintails in a tranquil setting.  Ever alert, the hen surveys a possible nesting site while the drake is on guard and motionless ever so watchful of his mate repeating the endless cycle of nature as the birds prepare to next and raise the new season’s offspring.  The pintail is one of the sleekest, most formal looking ducks gracing our continent.  The long central tail feathers earn it its common name of “pintail” and the name “sprig” that is heard and applied to it in the southern swamps of our country.  The pintail is the most widespread duck in North America and ventures farther into the arctic than even the mallard.  It is common in the east but is even more abundant in the west.  Its winter range is roughly the lower two-thirds of the continental United States, from ocean to ocean; the breeding range extends from the northern third of the continent up to the Arctic Ocean and is probably the duck with the largest population on the Canadian prairie.  The pintail duck is perhaps the fastest flier of any of the North American ducks.  Its graceful lines lend themselves to speed. They are very agile on the wing, performing rolls and banks that are a show in themselves.  It has been clocked at over 65 miles per hour, reaching speeds of 90 miles per hour with a strong tail wind.  The detail, style, setting and bold use of color are trademarks of Daniel F. Heuer.  “I especially enjoyed the warm colors used in this painting and the challenge to show the birds as accurately as possible.  The setting brings back fond memories of spring fishing trips around the marsh with my father and brother, during that very special time of the year when the returning waterfowl come back to nest in all their beautiful colors and each passing year I seem to appreciate them more and more”-Daniel F. Heuer