Waiting for waterfowl
Whether it is the shores of Lake Erie or Chautauqua Lake to areas across the Chautauqua Allegheny region and the Northeast most observers have noted a slow movement of waterfowl thus far in November. The fall flocks of ducks, loons, swans, scoters and more will soon be moving rapidly as frigid air, ice and snow descend upon our section of the country. Without chilly temperatures freezing water and pushing birds south there are often not many to be seen, but by the time Thanksgiving rolls around we should have our typical abundance and diversity.
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.
Read MoreDucks galore
Some of the ducks we spotted in one Chautauqua County location yesterday included Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, American Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck and Hooded Merganser. We’re finally melting!
Read MoreDiving ducks
This past weekend I visited the extremely active Dunkirk Harbor in Dunkirk, New York. It is currently holding thousands of ducks and gulls because just about all of Lake Erie is frozen and this immediate area is kept open by the warm water from the outflow of the adjacent NRG Energy power plant. This particularly frigid year means even more birds than usual are concentrated in this pocket of heat allowing for some great birding and close-up views, especially while birds are feeding and active. I took a few of photos of diving ducks – can you identify any? The first two photos are of...
Read More