A pair of Wood Ducks graced the Wetlands with their presence during the period. They were on the far side of the water near the willows. As I’ve said before, you never know what’s going to come swimming out of the willows. I’ve caught an occasional glimpse of at least one Wood Duck during the summer months, but haven’t seen a male and female together until the first week in September. Green Herons are a daily sight in the Wetlands.Read more
Posts tagged: #Cooper’s Hawk
Look Up!
Look up! I see Chimney Swifts hawking insects above the Explore the Wild/Catch the Wind loop every day. The number of swifts will no doubt increase as more young of the year leave their nests and join in on these foraging flights. If you’re not familiar with Chimney Swifts, they’re the small, acrobatic, black birds swiftly flying overhead, often in small family groups. At times, it appears that they flap their narrow, stiff wings alternately while flying, one wing, thenRead more
Mallard Surprise, Hawks Fledge
Top Photo: Wood thrush. A total surprise was a female Mallard with 7 ducklings in tow. I hadn’t seen a Mallard in the Wetlands for several weeks, other than the always present Mutt Duck (black and white female that’s been hanging around – mallard x domestic duck). On the 25th, both a male and female Mallard (the male molting and looking much like the female) were feeding alongside the Wetlands Overlook. As I stood there wondering where they’d come from,Read more
Dedication to Duty
Top Photo: Cooper’s hawk soaring over wetlands. Unlike insects, birds don’t necessarily thrive in the heat. Many birds take a break from the midday heat to rest in the shade, at times with their bills agape, panting from the heat. Unfortunately, at this time of year many birds have no choice but to be active – they have young on the nest or recently fledged young to attend to. The adults have to feed those young birds, and it’s aRead more
Spotted Sandpiper Fly-by and other Comings and Goings
Top Photo: spotted sandpiper makes brief stop in wetlands. A Spotted Sandpiper was seen at the Sailboat Pond. The bird circled the pond once and then proceeded down the path toward Explore the Wild. Spotted Sandpipers prefer a muddy shoreline on which to forage for invertebrates. We don’t often see shorebirds at the Museum. If they stop in, they usually don’t stay long. A young Red-tailed Hawk, leisurely soaring over the Wetlands, was met by a Red-shouldered Hawk intent onRead more