Duck fight, spring birds, critters
Pine Warblers are singing throughout the woods today, but couldn't get a close shot. Here are photos taken over the past two weeks
3-4-10, Cuddeback cam; raccoon walking up trail, from back, 9:03 p.m.
{{gwi:1359477}}From fish hatchery
3-5-10, Cuddeback cam; bobcat running up trail, back view, 5:28 p.m.
We visited the Minor Clark Fish Hatchery to see the overwintering ducks before they left. Double click on photos to see Google map locations
3-7-10, pair of Hooded Mergansers on oxbow river loop
female Hooded Merganser
male Hooded Merganser
male and female Buffleheads, Giant Canada Goose
We arrived at the fish hatchery too late to avoid galloping joggers, arm-swinging power walkers, and birders churning up the roads as they raced cars from pond to pond. Once I saw they were stampeding the waterfowl in all directions, we just sat in the car and read the Sunday paper until the other people began to leave. Eventually a male Bufflehead landed in the pond by the car and began diving for fish.
Soon a Bufflehead pair landed in the far end of the same pond and the newcomer male soon approached the first male, bobbing his head. While I was wondering what that meant the mystery was solved when the second male suddenly attacked the first male, who had been peacefully fishing.
3-7-10, Minor Clark Fish Hatchery, male Bufflehead fleeing attacker
After repeated attacks, the first Bufflehead returned to the female
while the first male stretched his wings in relief
then began preening to get his feathers back in the order
Meanwhile, the newcomer male thought he'd repair his feather arrangement also
The first Bufflehead male came closer to the car hoping to avoid the second male
and resumed diving for fish
Strangely, several times the female Bufflehead approached the single male as though trying to start something, but her partner would see it and attack the innocent first male who was only trying to avoid conflict.
A male Belted Kingfisher landed briefly on the far side of the pond
then quickly flew away
On the way back to the car I could see more ducks on the river
3-7-10, Minor Clark Fish Hatchery river loop, male and female Ring-necked Ducks, 1:58 p.m.
The next day we went up on Poppy Mountain
3-8-10, male Red-winged Blackbird, 10:07 a.m.
There was a male and two female Buffleheads on a cattle pond
Later I went up to our pond, crawled through the muck to the old slab lean-to blind and took photos of Wood Ducks through the screen of brush
3-10-10, male Wood Duck on top of our mnt
napping male Wood Duck keeps one eye open
female Wood Duck
3-10-10, bookend male Wood Ducks on our mnt pond, 1:38 p.m (to see Google map locations, double-click on any photo)
Comments (9)
kendra2003
Elly_NJ
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