This afternoon I got off work early enough to bike to Treman State Marine Park then walk to the lakeshore to scope the raft of ducks before the light faded. Yesterday from the white lighthouse Jay McGowan had estimated 6k Redheads on his eBird report. I wondered if that included an extra zero. Today from Treman I got a better view and sense of the group, and I agree with his number. Bob McGuire asked where the Aythya are. Some are certainly here. The flock was just late to form. Typically this is a Christmas-time treat, but the weather was so warm that the ducks simply stayed at Montezuma NWR’s ponds. Finally they got frozen out and now they are grouping at the shallow south end of Cayuga Lake.
I love to watch these hordes of ducks. It makes me giddy to scan through this seething mass of enthusiastic life. The iridescent green Mallard heads flash among the more numerous Redheads. It’s a challenge to identify all the ducks - males and females of at least nine different species in this flock along with several non-duck species as they sleep, preen, bathe, dive and pop up in waves, and move in crowded swirling rivers with their heads stretched high as if wondering where they are going. This is such a gift. In order of abundance I saw in this raft Redhead - several thousand, but the blonde bird of the past couple years was not among them Mallard - several hundred, again no cream-colored yet Lesser Scaup - about a hundred American Black Duck - a dozen or more Gadwall - half a dozen, but some were outside the raft Pied-billed Grebe - 5 Canvasback - 2M,2F Ring-necked Duck - 3M,1F (I didn’t refind my supposed hybrid for certain, although I did follow one suspicious head for awhile) American Coot - 4 Greater Scaup - 2M American Wigeon - 1 pair, a bit off to the side Herring Gull - 1 Ring-billed Gull - 1 The birds are so concentrated here. I wonder how much area their breeding territories add up to, and where they all came from. Scattered near the ice farther east were a few pairs and trios of Hooded Mergansers and a congregation of Common Mergansers. Canada Geese rested on the ice in the distance, as did Great Black-backed, Herring, and Ring-billed Gulls. Earlier in the day from East Shore Park I saw the White-winged Scoter trio to the NW. Farther north were 5 male and 1 female Common Goldeney, and near the cottage docks 4 Ruddy Ducks floated together with their tails held high. I did not refind the Northern Shoveler, nor have I yet seen any Great Blue Herons (both were reported nearby on the ice today). Plus one of these days the Tufted Duck is gonna reappear. Or a sleeping Eared Grebe. Or a Black Scoter. Or I could just watch Mallards and Redheads more. I have many excuses to return. —Dave Nutter -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
