Not all ducks are Mallards, and other things I've learned

What a fantastic day for waterfowl and decimating my previously held worldviews! The Ross Ornithologists headed out today for some serious birding, and birds we did find. Passing Town Pond in East Hampton, we spotted our first birds of the day, Mallards (Males rusty and gray with a green head, females mottled brown, both with a blue patch on wing lined in white) and Mute Swans. These birds also happen to be the only birds I could have previously identified in a pond My mind was then blown at Hook Pond in East Hampton, where we found American Black Ducks, which are similar to female Mallards, but with a darker body, lighter head, all yellow bill, and no white on the wing, a Hooded Merganser (a crazy looking black and white bird with a circular crest on its head), a Pied-billed Grebe (a small brown waterbird with a a short bill that can dive underwater for an insane amount of time), and flocks of Canada Geese and Double-crested Cormorants flying above. Our next stop, Georgica Pond, allowed for some sweet shorebird spotting- Royal Terns (with their orange beaks and crazy black tufted heads), Laughing Gulls (a medium dark gull with a black head and wingtips), Sanderlings, Ring-billed Gulls, and Herring Gulls. After Georgica, we were off on the road again, and we saw a Red-tailed Hawk through the moon roof of Doc's car. Excellent car birding! After scoping out some disappointingly populated ponds, we stopped at what was essentially a puddle on the side of the road to catch a glimpse of some adorable Wilson's Snipes. These medium sized, brown and white striped birds with exceptionally long beaks and large black eyes were well camouflaged in the grass, but Doc spotted them. Lastly, we swung by some golf course in Bridgehampton-ish to look at more ducks. SERIOUSLY, THESE WERE PRETTY MUCH THE COOLEST DUCKS EVER. We saw a Green-winged Teal, which had a gray body, rusty brown head, and bright green stripe through its eye and down its neck, Northern Shovelers, which have green heads, black backs, white and brown bellies, and crazy wide beaks, and... Ruddy Ducks, maybe? I don't know, I left my phone in the car. Anyway, pretty much the most mindblowing birding trip of my life, and if anyone wants to buy me a hand carved waterfowl from that guy in Sag Harbor, I'd like a Wood Duck please.