Ducks on the Move

When spring springs, thousands of water birds leave their southern homes for the breeding grounds of the north. Many stop over in Boulder County on our ponds, creeks and reservoirs. Although most of these birds are just taking a break from their long journey before continuing northwards, some will stay in the area to breed.

Late February and March are great times to go duck watching. Sawhill and Walden Ponds, Baseline and Lagerman Reservoirs, or the ponds at Pella Crossing offer some of our best spring birdwatching.

Expect to find gadwalls and wigeons, mallards and several kinds of teal, northern shovelers, and maybe a pintail or a wood duck! You may see these ducks in shallow water, tipping their bottoms up into the air while their feet kick furiously. This behavior, called dabbling, lets the ducks pick food off the shallow bottom of the pond.

Photo: A Cinnamon Teal takes flight. Photo by DP Lawrence, visit his profile here: 
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/dplawrance

Also watch out for diving ducks, which prefer deeper water: redheads, buffleheads, groups of mergansers and goldeneyes, and elegant canvasbacks. The divers will disappear underwater sometimes for up to a minute as they swim about using their strong feet for propulsion. Just when you think they have gone, one will pop up suddenly like a cork. By feeding in deep waters, these ducks avoid competition for food with their dabbling cousins.

Climate change may affect the timing of spring migration. By documenting ducks on the move with iNaturalist, you are helping to build a data set that supports scientists as they track changes to migration patterns over time. We look forward to seeing your observations!

Posted on 05 de fevereiro de 2020, 08:17 PM by dsutherland