Mandarin Ducks November

At this location I was able to spot a pair of Mandarin Ducks. The male is brightly coloured and the female’s colours are more gray, brown and white.

FEmales

Mandarin Ducks November- Female

The female can lay from 9-12 eggs. The ducks reach maturity at a year old. Despite laying 9-12 eggs they say there are only about 65,000 Mandarin ducks in the wild.

Males

Mandarin Ducks November- Male

Male Mandarin ducks go blend in after breeding season. The males molt or shed the bright feathers, taking on the colouring more like females for a few months. Males gain back their winter plumage in the US in October or November from what I understand.

Mandarin Ducks November- Male

Mandarin ducks are not hunted for food because they taste bad according to Sea World. Here in the US some people and zoos have Mandarin Ducks and they escape and join other wild ducks. Have a Splendid Sunday!

Male Wood Duck in Autumn

I have seen wood ducks at a few places, but only from a distance. They seem very skittish. Sometimes it may be because the location gets a lot of traffic in terms of people, but they seem more on guard. This location had less people and when I was by myself I had the most luck.

Male Wood Duck in Autumn

Wood ducks will hang out in wetlands, marshes, streams, ponds and lakes. I have seen them in wetlands, streams, and ponds. People put up nesting boxes and they will use them. They will also nest in trees. They are native to most of the eastern part of the US year round.

Male Wood Duck in Autumn

Wood ducks will eat seeds, fruit, insects, acorns, flies, beetles, caterpillars, and a variety of plants. They feed by making short, shallow dives called dabbling.

I was at this location for about 3 and a half hours trying to view this duck between branches, grasses and other obstructions. Sometimes it is worth the effort. Have a Happy Monday!

Northern Shoveler in New Jersey

Northern Shoveler in New Jersey

These are some more birds I saw in New Jersey. I think the above picture is a female and a male. They say females have an orange bill. This one on a different image does appear to have an area of orange on it. This male might in in the transition between non-breeding to a breeding male. The examples of breeding males I see online show a black head tinged with green, reddish brown flanks with a white chest. This one seems to have more dark areas on its chest. It may be the lighting conditions but I did not see much, if any green on it’s head.

Nonbreeding Male

Northern Shoveler in New Jersey

All About Birds identifies nonbreeding males as darker overall. They have a yellow eye. All About Birds lists New Jersey as its non-breeding area.

Northern Shoveler in New Jersey

Have a Happy Thursday!

Beaver?

When I came upon this very close to sunset, three ladies were watching it. I never saw it’s tail. They said it was slapping it on the water. I think it is either a muskrat or a beaver. I passed by this area earlier and heard a slap on the water and assumed it was a fish jumping. It may have been this animal.

Both beaver and muskrats can live in lodges. There was a lodge nearby and both live in lodges. This was in a wetlands area affected by the tide, off the Hudson River. I am going to say it may be a beaver. I have been by this area many times and have not seen it come this close. Hopefully it is not rabid. There was a case of a rabid beaver on the River that went after a kayaker I think last year.

Hopefully the Beaver and you have a Marvellous Monday!

Tern at Sunrise

I saw this tern, most likely a Forster’s Tern, at sunrise near the ocean in New Jersey. The larger birds were also flying around this time , but they were very far away. The terns are always ready to oblige it seems.

Tern At Sunrise

Have a Marvellous Monday!

Returning Raccoon

I thought when I caught this raccoon last time, it would be a one off chance encounter. I did catch it back at the same tree hole on another trip. It did wake up long enough to get it with its eyes open.

It seems the tree hole does not really go down from where it is as it seems wedged in there. It does not look comfortable, but it has returned. Have a great weekend.

Great Blue Heron in Golden Light

This great blue heron was not actively hunting, or did not appear to be. It may have been enjoying golden hour before sunset.

Great Blue Heron in Golden Light

This was taken in New Jersey on a previous trip from a great distance with a zoom lens. I wonder how the animals and birds are fairing in the Nor’Easter. Have a Happy Monday!

American Herring Gull With Blue Crab

I believe this is a juvenile American Herring Gull with a blue crab. I spotted this in New Jersey.

American Herring Gull With Blue Crab

American herring gulls , according to All About Birds, eat fish, insects, smaller seabirds, and even feed on adults, young, and eggs of other gulls. They also take mussels, crabs, sea urchins, crayfish, clams, and mussels.

I was hoping to go back to the same spot this weekend, but alas a nor’easter has affected the weather prior to its arrival. Maybe another weekend coming up I can swing it. We are predicted to get much needed rain, however, hopefully not too much. Have a Happy Sunday!

American Oyster Catcher in NJ

This is one of those at least I caught it photos. If I remember correctly the beach was closed beyond where I sat because of it being a nesting area for most likely another bird. This oyster catcher flew into the area in front of me and was looking for a meal.

American Oyster Catcher in NJ

According to All About Birds “American Oystercatchers are the only birds in their environment with the ability to open large molluscs such as clams and oysters.”

American Oyster Catcher in NJ

Even though it was still quite a distance, at least I saw it. These were taken with a zoom lens and are heavily cropped. Have a great Sunday!

Another Tree, Another Raccoon

I have been swinging by this tree at least once a week for the past few years hoping to find an owl. Instead this morning I saw a tail and an ear. It was a racccoon.

It is a different tree from the one I posted a picture or a raccoon poking out of the hole in June. When I went by this morning, nothing was waking it up, and there was a lot of noise nearby. I returned before sunset and had to wait a while before it started stirring. It was too dark to use a zoom lens. I got closer to the tree than I normally would, but not too close. These are cropped quite a bit.

Since I have not see another hole occupant before, I am guessing this may not be this raccoon’s normal home. Possibly he was on top of the sleeping pile if he was with family. Have a Happy Thursday!