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My last post showed Harlequin Ducks in a heavy surf close to shore. Lots of other ducks weren’t deterred by large swells and choppy water. They just stayed further away from the rocks than the crazier Harlequins. Black Scoters flew into the rough waters and rode the waves several yards from shore. I also spottedContinue reading “More Surf Action”

Harlequin Ducks are noted for the male’s colorful plumage. But they are also well-known rough water lovers. They feed close to rocky shores in heavy surf in the winter and in turbulent streams and rivers in the summer. Broken bones are quite common among these ducks. This is a male I photographed riding heavy swellsContinue reading “Surf’s Up”

It was a cold morning at the beach. Not nearly as cold as the recent arctic front though. There were ducks, gulls and loons in the distance. But a few birds came close enough for photographs. First, a Horned Grebe was swimming and diving just past the surf line. Three Razorbills swam past a bitContinue reading “Cold Morning at the Beach”

This is the first of two posts with photos from a cold February morning. I am processing the photos as we hunker down for a 2 day deep freeze with wind chills well below 0F. Luckily it is a very short term arctic blast and we can get back out again soon. This a collectionContinue reading “Winter Visitor – White-winged Scoter”

There were pictures of Ring-necked Ducks in my last post and they have been in previous posts as well. I often note that they should be called Ring-billed Ducks since the rings on their bills are so obvious. So why “Ring-necked”? I can’t quote a source so this is my opinion. Many birds were originallyContinue reading “Ring-necked Duck”

I went to the Merrimack River for a walk and photographed some of the ducks enjoying the ice-free waters. Buffleheads seem to be found where there is open water and today was no exception. The males appear to be black and white but there are hints of iridescent color on their heads in the rightContinue reading “Down by the River”

More ducks that visit me in the winter. These were photographed the same morning as those in the previous post. These are two the three types of Scoters, a type of sea duck, that winter on our shores. First is a pair of White-winged Scoters. The adult male has the brighter beak and white markContinue reading “Winter Ducks II”

A visit to Gloucester Massachusetts was rewarded by sightings of several of our winter ducks. Many types of ducks breed further north and then winter along the coast where there is less ice to deal with. It is easy to see where the Common Goldeneye gets its name. We spotted them close to shore andContinue reading “Winter Ducks I”

A visit to the coast of Maine on the first sunny day in many days seemed like a good idea. My visit to the Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine was productive for birding, photography and mood enhancement. This is the lighthouse. There were several duck species around. These are a male (top) and female HarlequinContinue reading “Maine Coast Visit”

I couldn’t get out this week due to other commitments and rainy weather. I did take advantage of the break to continue cleaning up the files from 2022. This provided a chance to revisit some nice finds. These photos were taken last March and a couple of the pictures appeared in a post back then.Continue reading “Winter Resident – Purple Sandpiper”