[cayugabirds-l] Re: [cayugabirds-l] Aythya winter diet in Cayuga - what are they eating?

2015-01-25 Thread Dave Nutter 
I recall large rafts of Redheads in winter along the cottages north of East 
Shore Park in the mid-1980s, and I think that was before the Zebra Mussel 
invasion which began in the Great Lakes in 1988. I wasn't counting numbers then 
(nor am I much good at it now), but that was my first experience with such 
extensive and densely packed duck rafts. The Aythya numbers could well have 
increased significantly since Zebra Mussels changed the ecology.

--Dave Nutter


On Jan 25, 2015, at 09:14 PM, "Kenneth V. Rosenberg"  wrote:

> My understanding is that the large flocks of Aythya ducks are related to the 
> proliferation of exotic zebra mussels in the Finger Lakes- but I have to 
> admit that I don't know the details or whether the different species feed on 
> them to a different extent. 
>
> Ken
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jan 25, 2015, at 8:55 PM, "Brad Walker"  wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> It's only one species, but last year I prepared round skin of a REDHEAD that 
>> had been found dead on Cayuga Lake, off of Hog Hole. It's stomach was filled 
>> with an assortment of small mussels.
>>
>> I took a few photos of them if anyone is interested.
>>
>> - Brad
>>
>>
>> Brad Walker
>> Media Specialist
>> Macaulay Library
>> Cornell Lab of Ornithology
>> 159 Sapsucker Woods Road
>> Ithaca, NY 14850
>>
>> 607-254-2168
>>
>> On Sun, Jan 25, 2015 at 8:47 PM, Benjamin Freeman  wrote:
>>
>> Hello all,
>>
>> Alexa and I had the good fortune to watch the Tufted Duck for an hour or 
>> so on Saturday morning. It was diving actively the entire time, which made 
>> it tough to find (and difficult to show to others in the scope). Which got 
>> me thinking: What are the various Aythya eating? The Tufted Duck was clearly 
>> associating with scaup on Saturday that were actively feeding. Also present 
>> were several big flocks of Redhead (all loafing around), and a decently big 
>> group of Canvasback (also loafing). 
>>
>> A quick search informs me that Aythya eat gastropods, mussels and 
>> aquatic vegetation among other things, and that the relative proportion of 
>> animal food in their diet varies seasonally.
>>
>> Does anyone know what they are eating in Cayuga in winter? Must be a 
>> fair bit of food to support so many birds for several months...
>>
>> Do different species of Aythya eat different things?
>>
>> Can you tell when Aythya are eating gastropods/molluscs/animal food vs 
>> plants based on their diving behavior?
>>
>> Looking forward to learning what these ducks are up to,
>>
>> Ben
>>
>> -- 
>> Benjamin Freeman
>> Ph.D. candidate
>> Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
>> Cornell University
>> Ithaca, NY, USA
>> benjamingfreeman.com
>>
>> --
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Aythya winter diet in Cayuga - what are they eating?

2015-01-25 Thread Kenneth V. Rosenberg 
My understanding is that the large flocks of Aythya ducks are related to the 
proliferation of exotic zebra mussels in the Finger Lakes- but I have to admit 
that I don't know the details or whether the different species feed on them to 
a different extent.

Ken

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 25, 2015, at 8:55 PM, "Brad Walker" 
mailto:bm...@cornell.edu>> wrote:

Hi all,

It's only one species, but last year I prepared round skin of a REDHEAD that 
had been found dead on Cayuga Lake, off of Hog Hole. It's stomach was filled 
with an assortment of small mussels.

I took a few photos of them if anyone is interested.

- Brad


Brad Walker
Media Specialist
Macaulay Library
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850

607-254-2168

On Sun, Jan 25, 2015 at 8:47 PM, Benjamin Freeman 
mailto:bg...@cornell.edu>> wrote:
Hello all,

Alexa and I had the good fortune to watch the Tufted Duck for an hour or so on 
Saturday morning. It was diving actively the entire time, which made it tough 
to find (and difficult to show to others in the scope). Which got me thinking: 
What are the various Aythya eating? The Tufted Duck was clearly associating 
with scaup on Saturday that were actively feeding. Also present were several 
big flocks of Redhead (all loafing around), and a decently big group of 
Canvasback (also loafing).

A quick search informs me that Aythya eat gastropods, mussels and aquatic 
vegetation among other things, and that the relative proportion of animal food 
in their diet varies seasonally.

Does anyone know what they are eating in Cayuga in winter? Must be a fair bit 
of food to support so many birds for several months...

Do different species of Aythya eat different things?

Can you tell when Aythya are eating gastropods/molluscs/animal food vs plants 
based on their diving behavior?

Looking forward to learning what these ducks are up to,

Ben

--
Benjamin Freeman
Ph.D. candidate
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY, USA
benjamingfreeman.com

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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Aythya winter diet in Cayuga - what are they eating?

2015-01-25 Thread Donna Scott 
I can observe the rafts of Aythyas in the lake here by Lansing Station Rd. from 
the railroad track & cliff top areas overlooking the water. I am 18-20 feet 
above them and that seems not to disturb them so they stay fairly close to 
shore. 
Where they often dive the water is about 9-13 feet deep this time of year. (The 
NYS Canal Corporation lowers Cayuga lake about 3 feet in winter).
The water a fair ways out from shore down by Stewart Park in summer is only 12 
feet deep. 

I can see the birds here surface with pieces of plant material in their bills. 
Once while attempting to watch the Tufted Duck Sunday, i saw another duck with 
a lumpy thing in its beak, probably a mussel or little crayfish. 

Due to over a decade of Zebra mussel growth in the lake, the water has become 
quite clear. This allows a lot of weed growth, so presumably this provides a 
lot of food for the ducks. 
In summer my friend who lives on the south shallow end of the lake has massive 
amounts of lake weeds to contend with. 
Here weeds grow almost to the surface by August at depths of 4 to 12 feet. 
If they eat Zebra Mussels there are zillions of those in the shallow zones 4-12 
feet deep.  

Sent from my iPhone
Donna Scott

On Jan 25, 2015, at 8:47 PM, Benjamin Freeman  wrote:

> Hello all,
> 
> Alexa and I had the good fortune to watch the Tufted Duck for an hour or so 
> on Saturday morning. It was diving actively the entire time, which made it 
> tough to find (and difficult to show to others in the scope). Which got me 
> thinking: What are the various Aythya eating? The Tufted Duck was clearly 
> associating with scaup on Saturday that were actively feeding. Also present 
> were several big flocks of Redhead (all loafing around), and a decently big 
> group of Canvasback (also loafing). 
> 
> A quick search informs me that Aythya eat gastropods, mussels and aquatic 
> vegetation among other things, and that the relative proportion of animal 
> food in their diet varies seasonally.
> 
> Does anyone know what they are eating in Cayuga in winter? Must be a fair bit 
> of food to support so many birds for several months...
> 
> Do different species of Aythya eat different things?
> 
> Can you tell when Aythya are eating gastropods/molluscs/animal food vs plants 
> based on their diving behavior?
> 
> Looking forward to learning what these ducks are up to,
> 
> Ben
> 
> -- 
> Benjamin Freeman
> Ph.D. candidate
> Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
> Cornell University
> Ithaca, NY, USA
> benjamingfreeman.com
> 
> --
> Cayugabirds-L List Info:
> Welcome and Basics
> Rules and Information
> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave
> Archives:
> The Mail Archive
> Surfbirds
> BirdingOnThe.Net
> Please submit your observations to eBird!
> --

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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Aythya winter diet in Cayuga - what are they eating?

2015-01-25 Thread Brad Walker 
Hi all,

It's only one species, but last year I prepared round skin of a REDHEAD
that had been found dead on Cayuga Lake, off of Hog Hole. It's stomach was
filled with an assortment of small mussels.

I took a few photos of them if anyone is interested.

- Brad


Brad Walker
Media Specialist
Macaulay Library
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850

607-254-2168

On Sun, Jan 25, 2015 at 8:47 PM, Benjamin Freeman  wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> Alexa and I had the good fortune to watch the Tufted Duck for an hour or
> so on Saturday morning. It was diving actively the entire time, which made
> it tough to find (and difficult to show to others in the scope). Which got
> me thinking: What are the various Aythya eating? The Tufted Duck was
> clearly associating with scaup on Saturday that were actively feeding. Also
> present were several big flocks of Redhead (all loafing around), and a
> decently big group of Canvasback (also loafing).
>
> A quick search informs me that Aythya eat gastropods, mussels and aquatic
> vegetation among other things, and that the relative proportion of animal
> food in their diet varies seasonally.
>
> Does anyone know what they are eating in Cayuga in winter? Must be a fair
> bit of food to support so many birds for several months...
>
> Do different species of Aythya eat different things?
>
> Can you tell when Aythya are eating gastropods/molluscs/animal food vs
> plants based on their diving behavior?
>
> Looking forward to learning what these ducks are up to,
>
> Ben
>
> --
> Benjamin Freeman
> Ph.D. candidate
> Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
> Cornell University
> Ithaca, NY, USA
> benjamingfreeman.com
>
>  --
> *Cayugabirds-L List Info:*
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> Rules and Information 
> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave
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> *Archives:*
> The Mail Archive
> 
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[cayugabirds-l] Aythya winter diet in Cayuga - what are they eating?

2015-01-25 Thread Benjamin Freeman 
Hello all,

Alexa and I had the good fortune to watch the Tufted Duck for an hour or so
on Saturday morning. It was diving actively the entire time, which made it
tough to find (and difficult to show to others in the scope). Which got me
thinking: What are the various Aythya eating? The Tufted Duck was clearly
associating with scaup on Saturday that were actively feeding. Also present
were several big flocks of Redhead (all loafing around), and a decently big
group of Canvasback (also loafing).

A quick search informs me that Aythya eat gastropods, mussels and aquatic
vegetation among other things, and that the relative proportion of animal
food in their diet varies seasonally.

Does anyone know what they are eating in Cayuga in winter? Must be a fair
bit of food to support so many birds for several months...

Do different species of Aythya eat different things?

Can you tell when Aythya are eating gastropods/molluscs/animal food vs
plants based on their diving behavior?

Looking forward to learning what these ducks are up to,

Ben

-- 
Benjamin Freeman
Ph.D. candidate
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY, USA
benjamingfreeman.com

--

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