I took a group of students on a field trip yesterday and we were delighted to
spot HOODED MERGANSERS on the pond and a BROWN CREEPER and a FOX SPARROW on the
Wilson trail, among other excellent regulars, including troupes of CEDAR
WAXWINGS being quite busy, with juveniles mixed in. It was also a good day to
be a HAIRY WOODPECKER, apparently.
At montezuma we had lots of RING-NECKED DUCKS, which always seem rather
exciting to me with their fancy contrasty bills.
A group there before us had sighted two adult BALD EAGLES in the trees far
across the marsh area and pointed them out to us. "How do you know what they
are that far away?" Some students wanted to know. hooray for the Inside Birding
episodes, which I was able to point to and say "color pattern! Size and shape!
Habitat! Behavior!" And they nodded, now knowingly.
We also had some nice views of a juvenile NORTHERN HARRIER harrying some
GREEN-WINGED TEAL and AMERICAN COOTS. Lots of NORTHERN SHOVELERS, conspicuously
mostly male, just as the teals had been. Am I making this up or are there
serious bachelor fests of certain ducks in the winter?
Only two BUFFLEHEADS in the whole wildlife drive lot, both females and very
actively diving. The students got nice long looks at the tricky GADWALL, for
which I was especially grateful. ("My ducks are a little shaky," said one
student confidentially. "So are mine," said I. Which reminds me to sign up for
some of Kevin McGowan's upcoming waterfowl webinars.)
One RUDDY DUCK made an appearance, and oh, our kingdom for a scope-- who knows
what else was just beyond binoc range.
Caroline Manring
Ithaca
Sent from my iPhone
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