More Cold - 07 Feb 2014

Following our recent snow storm we've again been subjected to subzero wind chills.  I took the opportunity to drive down to John Dingell Park (again) to look for something to photograph.  As I walked along the waterfront a drake Bufflehead appeared below me and swam slowly in the windy afternoon sun as ice clung to his breast feathers.

I was able to get a few photos of the Bufflehead from just 20-30' away before he drifted off to the north.

Meanwhile a juvenile / female-type White-winged Scoter appeared in the middle of the channel.  Juvenile males and females are difficult to differentiate, but adult females apparently have black bills. This one has orange-pink on its bill, so I'm calling it a juvenile male.  However, I'm not certain as some young females can show pink on the bill.  Pyle guards against sexing young birds.

I made an attempt at digiscoping some birds in the late afternoon sun. Wind and bitter cold temps made digiscoping difficult, but surprisingly the fingers are adjusting to this cold winter so as to be not totally useless. One of three nearby Horned Grebes swam close enough for pics, as did the Bufflehead and a Common Goldeneye.

John D. Dingell Park, Wayne, Michigan, US
Feb 7, 2014 3:00 PM - 3:40 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments:     Cold!
4 species

White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi)  1
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  1
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  1
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S101219348

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