Hooded Mergansers
The icy cold and snowy weather of the past several weeks along with the beginning of the waterfowl spring migration season has sent some birds looking for open water and others finding their way north again. These Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) were zipping around looking for a warm spot on one of the more frigid afternoons recently. Courting continues, but the spring breeding season is sooner rather than later…
Read MoreGreen-winged Teal Size
I took this photo and I still can’t mentally process it correctly. Here we have a drake Green-winged Teal in front of an American Black Duck with Gadwall, American Coot, Mallard, among others. Teals are certainly small ducks, but that bird looks tiny compared to its friends. They are very close to one another and the little teal is closer to me…what a size difference in every feature! This guy seems like a toy in front of the Black Duck on a cold and snowy day. There will not be many more of those left… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
Read MoreGreater Scaup
There were so many more ducks pushed out into the open ocean during the past two winters with the icy Great Lakes and nearly every inland body of water being locked up for most of the season in the Northeast. This year species like these Greater Scaup can still be found in more northerly areas with sometimes historic warmth occurring. As of yesterday the Great Lakes ice cover was only at 7.2% compared to 2015’s 49.0% and the even more frozen 77.7% in 2014. Our local Lake Erie was essentially entirely ice at this point in the last two winters because it is so shallow, measuring at 94.5%...
Read MoreGreat Black-backed Gull
Here is a Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) that was relaxing on this balmy February day – chatting? Yelling? Calling? Laughing? Not that, we know what Laughing Gulls look like! It was actually yawning, and you can even get a good look at that tongue dangling down. It must be bored with this easy and comfortable winter weather…or maybe tired of staring at me who is itching to see more wildlife. I love snow but oh boy, these days make me ready for spring. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreChautauqua Lake Sunset
So, I can’t let Scott have all the fun shooting beautiful sunsets and felt that Chautauqua Lake was in need of some representation on the web. With that said, as soon as I got home from the office last night I grabbed my camera and ran to the water’s edge to capture this off of Bemus Point. With all the ice still on the lake, despite the warm temperatures we have had as of late, the withering sunlight was aglow across the frozen body of water. As the ice has sealed off food resources for many waterfowl, it has left the lake rather quiet and barren. However, taking in the...
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