Diving 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 MoreLong-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) by Scott Kruitbosch
There’s a reason for the name Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis), one that does not need any explanation. This was one of two individuals at Dunkirk Harbor (on Lake Erie, NY) today along with thousands of other waterfowl of a couple dozen species. Bald Eagles perched on the ice and flying overhead keep them all very attentive. It’s a spectacle.
Read MoreDowntown Snowy Owl
On this past Sunday night, February 9, I was fortunate enough to spot a Snowy Owl flying in downtown Jamestown. At around 10:23PM I observed an individual about 200 feet off the ground heading slowly but surely to the west. I watched the bird drift out of sight without any binoculars or my camera, neither of which would have helped much anyway. In thinking about the sighting afterwards it seemed to me that the bird was following the Chadakoin River. Snowy Owls are both diurnal and nocturnal and over the years I have seen individuals following different patterns at different times at...
Read MoreWaterfowl identification quiz
In this very cold winter season we have been finding a lot of waterfowl concentrated in any areas with open water. As ice takes over nearly every pond, creek, river or lake – even much of the Great Lakes – these birds have to find a hole in these blocks or move to the south. This bird was one of thousands of gulls, ducks, loons, grebes, scoters and more in an unfrozen patch of Lake Erie. Can you identify it? You can barely see the bird’s eye as it rests with bill tucked in. Examine the color patterns on the head, neck, breast, wings and body while looking at the overall...
Read MoreCanvasback (Aythya valisineria) by Twan Leenders
The bright and deep red eyes of the Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) are really something to see (no pun intended) up close like this. After such a cold winter for much of the U.S. it’s a great time to check your local ponds and lakes for any open water to enjoy respectfully close views of ducks, geese, gulls, loons, grebes and more. This bird was on Lake Erie yesterday. More snow and cold air will keep waterfowl moving in the next week.
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