Blue-winged Teal Hen
The hen Blue-winged Teal is rather skilled at going unnoticed with its drab colors and comparatively tiny size to some of the other ducks it may be spotted hanging out with. We do not get to see too many of them outside of the summer or migration, but this was a recent sighting thanks to the relatively warm weather keeping some water open. What intriguing waterfowl sightings have you had this winter?
Read MoreBlue-winged Teal Pair
Here is a shot of that shy Blue-winged Teal pair that was hanging around – if you two would like to stay in the area and build a nest, by all means! The price is right and we could use a lovely couple like you in the neighborhood. I wish they would swim a little more towards me instead of away, like all the ducks seem to enjoy doing…still, they’re a beautiful pair, and there will be a lot more green springing up around them after a weekend like this one. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreBlue-winged Teals
During this strange weather – spring in winter, winter in spring, and a mix of both back and forth – we still have birds fighting their way to the north. On days with a strong southerly flow there is plenty of migration occurring, and while we will soon have yards full of brightly colored songbirds, there are some wonderful waterfowl species coming through, too. The drake Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) featured in these two distant photos was in the company of a hen and one other pair, all four swimming, preening and resting in a pond among American Black Ducks.
Read MoreRadar Migration Overnight April 3, 2015
Here’s a radar grab from the overnight period of April 2 into April 3, 2015. As you can see precipitation is moving across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with heavier waves to the west and lighter showers to the east. Midwestern areas had strong and severe thunderstorms while the Atlantic Coast especially had moderate avian migration occurring – see the diffuse and circular areas of blue centered around radar stations contrasting with the green rain. Birds avoiding this wet weather included a lot of sparrows like the White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow and Swamp...
Read MoreBlue-winged Teal (Anas discors) by Scott Kruitbosch
More ducks! Can you ID the pair in this photo? Those are Blue-winged Teal looking beautiful in a local marsh earlier this morning. Coming from Connecticut I certainly appreciate seeing them in breeding season as the nesting population is listed as “Threatened” in the CT Endangered Species Act.
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