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What are these two female Long-tailed Ducks up to? It may look like a race but it is apparently a sort of social interaction within a flock. Courtship displays involve a lot of head bobbing and vocalizing, something these ducks were not doing. Was it posturing for pecking order within the flock? Just for fun?Continue reading “Duck Racing”

The Marbled Godwit is a large shorebird with a long, slightly upturned, bicolored bill. It uses its rapier-like bill to probe the sand for invertebrates and plants. They primarily breed in the northern prairies of the US and Canada. There two satellite breeding areas, one in southern Alaska and another at the southern end ofContinue reading “Marbled Godwit”

This is the third of three posts featuring the three species of scoter that winter here in New England. This is an immature male Surf Scoter photographed at Cape Neddick, Maine. As he matures, his beak will become even brighter and he will develop white patches on his forehead and the back of his head.

This is the second of the three species of Scoter that winter in New England that I recently photographed. My last post showcased the Black Scoter. This is the White-winged Scoter. They have a prominent white patch on their wings that is highly visible when they are flying. Male White-winged Scoter photographed at Cape Neddick,Continue reading “Snapshot – White-winged Scoter”

Three of the world’s six Scoter species winter off our coast. These stocky sea ducks dive for crustaceans and mollusks. I had a chance to get some fairly close looks at all three recently. This is a male Black Scoter photographed at Cape Neddick, Maine.

These photographs of a Red-breasted Merganser taking flight were taken from a different perspective than usual. I was standing on the rocks overlooking the narrow channel between the mainland and the little island with the Nubble Light in York, Maine. The Merganser took off as I was photographing it from above and I captured severalContinue reading “Different Perspective”

I am posting a lot of duck photos, but ducks are prominent winter visitors along the New England coast. There are a lot of photo-ops as a result. Long-tailed Ducks are one the common ducks that we see and they make good subjects. This is a male in non-breeding plumage. The females are in non-breedingContinue reading “Long-tailed Ducks”

A Red-breasted Merganser flying over an icy Merrimack River on a gray New England winter morning.

A Common Loon was riding the current downstream and diving for prey until it got close to mouth of the river. Then it returned upstream to start the process again. But instead of flying, it “ran” back up the river using the same action that it would use in order to take flight. I’m notContinue reading “Snapshot – Common Loon”

The Atlantic can get pretty rough during and after one of our nor’easters. I took these photos recently after such a storm. Sea ducks like these Long-tailed Ducks just ride the surf and continue diving for prey. A Herring Gull skims the surf with the small crab he found or likely stole from a duck.Continue reading “Ocean Views”