Ruddy Ducks - 19 Feb 2007

1530 Hrs.  Still cold outside, but starting to warm a bit.  Temps were actually in the 20’s today.  I stopped by the river at the foot of St Johns.  It was mostly cloudy, but light out, so it was worth seeing what’s about.  

In the front of the boat ramp I saw a female Common Goldeneye, and just beyond her is a male Lesser Scaup.  It was a great opportunity to photograph them, so I decided to walk around to the south side of the ramp and test my luck.  As I slowly approached the dock’s edge they both starting moving out to deeper water.  

I decided to lay on my stomach on the cement and stay low to the ground.  Sure enough, in just moments the female Common Goldeneye starting to move back toward the dock along the ice edge.  I shot several frames as she approached, and watched as she stayed low to the water and stretched forward in a courtship gesture.  Shortly after a second female approached and the two began to display to each other.  Odd.  

Just then the male Lesser Scaup starting moving toward shallow water, so I fired several frames and kept shooting as it got closer and closer to me.  But from about 20 feet away it noticed me and quickly moved back out to deeper water.

At the foot of Clinton St the ice flow still completely covers the river, but a patch of open water under the docks held a pair of Redhead (male and female).  They looked very pretty against the ‘green’ waters under the dock.  

Out on the ice a single male Gadwall was walking across the ice and having a hard time keeping its feet.  It then walked out of site under some dock posts.

Wyandotte Boat Ramp, Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 19, 2007 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.1 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Temps in 20's, cloudy, windy
4 species

Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  1
Redhead (Aythya americana)  2
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  1
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S174111894

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

I then drove down to Ecorse Park.  From the south corner of the boardwalk I could see a number of Canvasbacks at a distance, but nothing nearby.  A male Canvasback then swam out from under the dock and I managed a quick shot.  

The water was a bit choppy today, so he had some trouble getting away as fast as he wanted.  

I then spotted 8 Ruddy Ducks bobbing in the river toward the north end of the boardwalk and decided to hike through the snow to see if I could get some pics.  As I approached, they seemed unaware of my presence.  After a few pics they began to stir from their slumber, and decided to swim off.  Still groggy though, they never raised their heads from below their wings, and instead began to swim with one leg only.  It was comical to watch 8 tiny ducks swirling in circles and bumping into each other without lifting their heads.  A few finally raised their head, but stretched and went back under their wings.  They then let the current slowly drift them nearer to shore, where I left them alone.  

At the ice edge next to the boardwalk a single male Lesser(?) Scaup slept with his head tucked under his wing.  I approached slowly and took some pics, and took care not to startle it.  I hope its ok, and only sleeping and unconcerned with my presence, versus being ill.

Dingell Park (formally Ecorse Park), Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 19, 2007 4:00 PM - 4:20 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.1 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Temps in 20's, ptly cloudy, windy
2 species (+1 other taxa)

Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  24
Greater/Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila/affinis)  1
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  8

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S174112468

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)