Category: Birds

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Ice leaves, buffleheads take over

The ice that yesterday filled the cove has floated out to sea.
The ice that yesterday filled the cove has floated out to sea. The Oak Island Inn (which is not on Oak Island, but overlooks it) is in the distance.
2009-03-28-buffleheads
As soon as the ice had melted, the bufflehead ducks that had all winter occupied the other side of the causeway, the side that didn't freeze, gleefully (I imagine) took possession of the newly open water.
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Feeding mallard ducks in Mahone Bay

A friend has been feeding ducks in his backyard in the town of Mahone Bay.

The females have a sweet, gentle way about them, my friend observes, while the males are more raucous.
The females have a sweet, gentle way about them, my friend observes, while the males are more raucous.
2009-03-10duckfeeding
Ducks come by for a meal
2009-03-10duck
Orange feet

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Mystery tracks on the ocean ice

Mystery prints. Looks like 4 paws, then 4 paws, then something dragged for a distance, repeat.
Mystery prints

I saw these on the ice the other day.  What do you think it is?  It looks like 4 dog paws, then another set of 4 paws, then something dragged for a distance, repeat.  Leave comments below.

Seagulls or ducks? The waddle suggests ducks to me. Pretty.
Seagulls or ducks?

And these?  Looks like ducks to me; I can imagine the waddle, and there are lots of ducks right here when the water is liquid.

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Ducks eating on marsh at high tide

What are the ducks eating?
What are the ducks eating?

I wonder what the ducks are finding to eat in the flooded marsh? At high tide, a dozen of them will be gathered around one spot, head and neck down in the ooze.  Is it some small semi terrestrial creature that gets flooded out when the tide is so high?  Does anyone know?

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Ducks

Pair of bufflehead ducks
Pair of bufflehead ducks

On my walk this morning, I saw no fewer than three species of duck in the little inlet taking shelter from the gale force southeasterlies: the American Black Ducks that breed prolifically around here, Mallards, and a pair of cute little Buffleheads.