Tag: #Birds

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!

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!

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!

Kingfisher in Flight

This was one of the many birds I saw in Southern New Jersey on a trip. It is a belted kingfisher. I am not seeing the belly, but I am guessing it is a male.

Kingfisher in Flight

There was a large contingent of birds in this spot, and there appeared to be fish for everyone. According to All About Birds the kingfisher eats fish like “sticklebacks, mummichogs, trout, and stonerollers. They also eat crayfish and may eat other crustaceans, mollusks, insects, amphibians, reptiles, young birds, small mammals, and even berries.”

Frequently I see them perched on a tree branch looking down in the water for fish swimming by. They dive in the water when they spot one. Have a happy Wednesday!

American Avocet

Merlin did not have a match for this, as New Jersey is not supposed to be in it’s range. It is an American Avocet and appears to be a non breeding adult or an immature.

It’s normal non breeding areas include the Virginia coast and south. This one was with another avocet with slightly different colouring. Its breeding areas appear to be in the mountain area of the central US.

This is one more bird that is outside their normal area. Have a great Tuesday!

Tern Catching Fish

I was not sure what bird this was. The first choice under Merlin app is Forster’s tern. It appears like a non breeding adult.

It kept flying to an outtake area of a culvert as it came out from under a road. The tide was going out and the tern took advantage of fish coming out into the bay from the wetlands area. I saw it capture several fish flying in and out.

I almost thought it was showing off as this fish it carried around in a circle giving me lots of opportunities to get off some shots. Was he showing off? Or was he looking for a dining spot? Have a happy Monday!

Two For One Deal

This great blue heron had the best fishing spot. He was at one end of a culvert under a road while the tide was going out. He was catching fish left and right. This time he caught two fish at the same time.

Two For One Deal
Two For One Deal

He was the centre of attention as other wading birds stopped, drew near and stared at him. Were they in awe of his fishing prowess? Did they hope he would drop one and they could fight over it? Did they hope he would share with one of them? He did drop them both it appeared as he waded to a beach area. Then, he appeared to pick the larger one up and eat it.

Two For One Deal

Then he walked off with the smaller one as the wading birds lost interest. Have a Happy Tuesday!