Ducks and Others

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These Feet are Made for Diving

January 31, 2012 Ducks and Others

Ducks have reason to be nervous around us humans in the winter, and diving ducks are always dive-ready if danger is imminent. Sometimes, I refrain from even pointing my lens at ducks, having learned that this act alone can be a stressor for them. Almost all flying ducks will divert course, even a little, when [...]

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Thumbnail image for Dating, Bufflehead Style

Dating, Bufflehead Style

March 7, 2011 Animal Behavior

I wish I’d been closer than the far reach of my lens, struggling for focus in the thick of weather. I snapped these from the shore, capturing the distant dynamics of a Bufflehead courtship ritual. Two males were vying for the one female pictured here.

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I Preen, Therefore I Am

March 5, 2011 Animal Behavior

If you know birds, you know that preening isn’t cosmetic fluff. It’s a meticulous cleaning and placement of the bird’s survival gear: feathers. Feathers need to be pristine for flight and for insulation. During oil spills, the analogy used about feathers is that a spot of oil on a bird’s plumage is like a hole [...]

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Eagle En Route . . .

February 23, 2011 Ducks and Others

. . . it’s a Seattle thing. First alert — a look overhead and warning calls: American Wigeon first responders leave lone Eurasian Wigeon to contemplate his next move: And he’s off: Safety in numbers: The instigator comes into view: The juvenile Bald Eagle shows little interest in the ducks, catches the thermals, and whirls [...]

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Wigeon Report

February 15, 2011 Ducks and Others

I went to the local duck pond to follow up on the American Wigeon flock that took residence there in the late fall. The one Eurasian Wigeon in the flock is still among them . . . I’m not sure if he has a mate. There were several obvious couplings in the group, with pairs [...]

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Ice Ducks

November 29, 2010 Ducks and Others

Here’s my segue from Winter Water . . . to the semi-graceful form of winter ducks. The snow is gone, but I still froze my fingers into Rocket Pops, snapping pics of these ducks navigating their own version of tundra. Unlike me, the ducks kept their digits warm, thanks to the ingenious countercurrent circulation system [...]

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Thumbnail image for The Enculturation of Wigeons

The Enculturation of Wigeons

November 5, 2010 Birds

There’s an Eliza Doolittle thing happening at the local duck lake. Hugh and I have been frequenting a nearby snippet of shoreline access on Puget Sound — a local, private beach where we hold the golden ticket: a guest pass. It’s a coup really, because a lot of the shoreline is privately held here in [...]

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Crow on the Outside, Looking In

November 2, 2010 Animal Behavior

There’s a wetlands pond not far away, with a group of friendly, habituated Mallards . . . and a small contingent of alert, migrating ducks (this week: Wigeons) who keep to themselves in the shade of the reeds, as far from humans as possible. The Mallards approach any new human. The possibility of food from [...]

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Tussle on Mountain Lake

November 21, 2009 Animal Behavior

This was a first for me . . . witnessing a down and dirty fight between American Coots intent on keeping each other off coveted turf. Neither bird was hurt. Well, maybe emotionally. The loser scrambled across the water to escape the victor. American Coots can drown in territorial battles, although it’s not common. They [...]

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Ducky Surveillance

October 6, 2009 Ducks and Others

I snapped some shots this morning of a ducks flying overhead. Poor ducks will reverse course sometimes if they see something pointed at them … like a camera lens. “I promise, I’m not a hunter, really” — doesn’t get you anywhere with this understandably suspicious class of birds. If you make a trip to heavily [...]

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