Dabbler ID for #1

#1 - Northern Pintail - female. I love the pintail's sinuous neck. Add to that the gray beak and gray legs (mud covered in this photo), brown head, mottled body.

#2 - Green Winged Teal - female. When she is by herself, her small size may be hard to judge. A characteristic often sited is a steep forehead, but that is not so apparent in this photo. The green speculum which gives this species its name is visible in this photo, but it is hidden as often as it is visible and is not a dependable field mark. Short dark beak, gray legs, indistinct eye line, and a sort-of brown-gray head.

#3 - American Widgeon, female. Round grayish head, steep forehead (often with dark eye patch), light gray beak with black tip, less mottled, "smoother" sides than other female ducks.

 #4 - Mallard, female. Default female dabbler. Orange legs and orange beak with dark patch on top. Evenly mottled brown body, light brown head and neck. Distinct eye stripe.

#5 - Northern Shoveler, female. In beak size, this is the daffy duck of the duck world. It's not all nose, but if it were, Jimmy Durante and Cyrano deBergerac would eat their hearts out. In spite of the size, the large beak is not always apparent at a distance, although it does give a profile that is different from other dabblers. Orange legs, orange beak with black on top, brown head (no eye stripe).

Often the females can be readily identified by the company they keep - namely, that of a male companion. The problem comes in pulling your attention away from her dashing companion to study her, which is why it can take so long to learn the females. Remember that her drab appearance camouflage's her when she is on the nest and protecting her young.

Dabbler #1, the Northern Pintail female was cropped out of the next photo. I suspect that the eye of the typical viewer will be drawn to her handsome mate nearby, and except for her rather unusual stance in the photo, she will go unnoticed. That's the point ...

Northern Pintail - female (l) and male (r)

Dabbling Ducks - Genus Anas - No. 1

Last year in December, I did a series of quizzes on LBJs or Little Brown Jobs (Quiz 1 link).

For this year’s winter series, I will focus on Dabbling Ducks - Genus Anas.  I have had a number of good opportunities in the Spring and last Fall for photographing the most common of these ducks.

The dabblers are some of our most familiar ducks, and most familiar birds. They are denizens of inland marshes and ponds, which is why they are known at “puddle ducks.” They may also frequent parks, feed in fields, and winter in protected coastal waters. They feed by dabbling at the water’s surface or by bottoms-up, heads down.

The drakes are among the most handsome and dashing gentlemen in the avian world. The hens - not so much so. Basically, the hens all look alike, although a part of this series will be an exercise in learning to identify the hens - an exercise which I need to do for my benefit, and which will hopefully be of interest to patient readers.

I begin with three of the most handsome dabbling ducks. Well, the drakes are handsome anyway.

The Green-winged Teal is the smallest dabbling duck - about 14 inches in length. Duck watching with binoculars or a scope tends to distort our comparative size perception. I remember one time walking on a wetlands boardwalk and being almost on top of Green-winged Teals. I was struck by how small these birds are.

Green-winged Teal - drake. (Florida, late February)

Green-winged Teal - drake & hen. (Florida, late February)

The Northern Pintail is just plain handsome. Its name comes from the long narrow pintail feathers. Like many ducks, it is flightless during its late summer molt. Observationally, the last feathers to be replaces are those pintail feathers. In late October, the drakes are elegantly attired, but missing their pintails.

Northern Pintail - drake. (New Jersey, late October)

The previous photo was taken in late October at Forsyth NWR. The next photo was also taken at Forsyth, this time in late March. The pintail feathers are evident, as is the dabbling method of feeding.

Northern Pintail - drake. (New Jersey, late March)

Northern Pintail - drake & hen. (New Jersey, late October)

The white crown of the American Widgeon gave this duck its folkname, “Baldpate.” This is a dabbling duck that likes to graze on land. It also spends time in deeper water than most dabblers, getting much of it food with thievery from coots and divers.

American Widgeon - drake. Florida, late February

American Widgeon - drake & hen. New Jersey, late October

Good Birding!

Arizona Sampler, 3

I'll be heading up Cave Creek Canyon later today and will be without internet until I finally return home around the 30th. I hope to have additional photos, and of course, columns and descriptions of the birding in Arizona. My columns are scheduled to be posted, as usual, on the next couple of Saturdays.

Sandhill Cranes, late afternoon, at Whitewater Draw ...

Vermillion Flycatcher ...

Mexican Jay ...

grazing American Widgeons, near golf course and treatment ponds in Willcox ...

young Black-crowned Night Heron, also at wetlands near Willcox golf course ...


Good Birding!

Birding Cape May

Birding on Monday continued in the afternoon in and around Cape May. Highlights were Marbled Godwit near Stone Harbor, and an guesstimated two or three hundred American Oystercatchers, but both species were distant through the scope. Sanderlings were chasing wave on the Stone Harbor beaches



Nothing unusual about this Ring-billed Gull, but I love the way the wind has ruffled its feathers.

The ponds and wetlands around the state park were full of ducks - Black Duck, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, and American Widgeon.

Have to take time once in a while to just enjoy the place.

Tuesday was a foul day, cold, windy, and rainy. I made a couple of brief excursions, including visiting the Cape May beach where a flock of Black Skimmers were roosting.