Mallards, sort of

Besides the hooded mergansers and buffleheads swimming around our Wetlands, an old familiar male mallard has stopped in, with a different female than I’d seen him with previously.       I know this is the same drake mallard because of his plumage, he is not pure mallard. This drake has some domestic duck mixed in. The fact is, there are probably few pure mallards in our area although their plumage may or may not appear to be purebred mallard.Read more

Mergs and other Birds

On Wednesday (11/3) there were four Hooded Mergansers in the Wetlands, two males and two females. A group of 8-9 Canada Geese dropped in for a few hours on Wednesday as well. Although these geese are of a non-migratory population, they’re usually absent during the summer months, returning in November. And, speaking of mutt ducks… There were many Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets working over the Mimosas next to the mid-way landing on the boardwalk Wednesday (11/3). Seen this pastRead more

Mergansers!

I usually see the Hooded Mergansers for the first time of the season somewhere during the first or second week in November, depending on the weather. The last cold front that came through our area apparently hurried the waterfowl along, bringing cold weather to their summer ranges and shoeing them southward. I got an email from Michele Kloda (exhibits) on Monday saying that she spied the mergs in the Wetlands (11/1). I went down to have a look myself todayRead more