Breeding plumage! So many ducks have it! Come mating season, they
ditch their drab brown coats for something much flashier. Colors and
patterns you wouldn't believe! It's really quite something, and on a
recent spring day, D had the good fortune of having jury duty! Not only
did he have jury duty, but he was released at 1pm! He hopped on the A
train and went straight for Jamaica Bay where he was thrilled to see
many of the ducks we've become pretty used to seeing out there in
much snazzier duds.
Northern Shoveler (Male, Breeding Plumage)
I
can never get over the size of this guys bill. It's so
disproportionately big it's almost absurd!! I guess that's why they
call him Shoveler. Their highly specialized bill is good for sifting
plankton from the waters surface.
Here's the Northern Shoveler when he's not trying so hard:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartwildlife/6710231645/
Green-winged Teal (Male, Breeding Plumage)
Another
dramatic transformation. Pretty much the only thing this species
retains between breeding/non-breeding is the little bit of yellow on the
tail coverts.
And
now for the really exciting stuff! About a year ago, before I got into
birdwatching in earnest, I was at Central Park on my lunch break taking a walk around The Pond. I sat on a bench watching a group of about 50
Mallards, just ducking around, until something caught my eye. One of these
things was NOT like the others!! What I was so amazed by, I later
discovered, was a Wood Duck. Heart palpitations, people! I turned to
the stranger standing next to me, "Do you see that insane looking
duck?!?!?" She did, and I'm not sure she cared...but it didn't kill my
spirit.
And so, on his latest trip to Jamaica Bay, D finally got to see first hand what so excited me at Central Park.
Premature equackulation!! Get it?! ;)
Wood Duck (Male, Breeding Plumage)
He's
got this virbrantly green helmet-like head and blood red eyes, not to
mention shades of yellow, blue, purple and brown. What. A. Duck.
Keep your eyes peeled folks, you can see one too! Although uncommon, we
saw another one at Prospect Park only yesterday and they'll be here all
summer.
Two House Finches, Sitting in a Tree
Tree Swallow in Flight
You can usually tell a swallow by
their shape when they're flying, as they have that distinctive curvature
of their wings. D snapped this one at the exact right moment. I love
the movement that comes through in this shot. He hasn't even tucked in
his little legs yet!
At
Prospect Park yesterday we didn't have our camera but can report that
spring is definitely in the air. We spotted a baby Red-tailed Hawk in
his nest over by the Vale of Cashmere. The yellow-rumped warblers are
back in action, and we must have seen about two hundred Robins,
including one with an albino morph!! Unfortunately, no news on the
G.H.O., but we'll keep checking up on her. Happy spring migration everybody!
