Rick and I didn't have a lot of time to walk this evening, so we headed over to the small trail around the lake at
Pine Hills Park (in Mason, OH). I'm glad we went, because a cute little Bufflehead couple was tooling around the lake looking adorable...
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A male and female Bufflehead were swimming and diving at Pine Hills lake.
(The female has the white cheek patch; the male has more white and is very dapper!) |
The two ducks did a lot of diving and the bright white on the male made it easy to spot him when he bobbed back up to the surface. Buffleheads dive for invertebrates and some seeds as well. They swallow their food whole while under the water.
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| This Bufflehead couple won't be around our area for long. They start heading north in late spring to reach their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska. Like Wood Ducks, Buffleheads nest in tree cavities and search out abandoned woodpecker holes. |
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| ...such a handsome couple! I'm so glad we caught sight of them today. |
Nice! I saw a Bufflehead drake in the duck ponds here at the Dykeman Spring Nature Park and I got all homesick again; Buffleheads winter in the salt water around Newport, RI, and I used to get great shots of the huge flocks of them floating off the Cliff Walk. Until I saw that one drake recently I hadn't been aware that they could be found in fresh water.
ReplyDeleteHi Kelly
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet pair. It brought back fond memories of seeing them in years past.
Nice to see a post from you again.
Have a wonderful week
Hi Kelly. What a charming encounter with a species I've never seen in the wild.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to you and the family.
Hi Kelly! Great pics. I didn't know Buffleheads were cavity-nesters. I love learning little tidbits like that -- thanks!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I was watching some Ring-necked Ducks in my scope the other day and it occurred to me that they would be really fun to sketch. I hope to do some more sketching this spring at Magee Marsh. See you soon!
~Kim Smith
i agree, such a handsome couple
ReplyDeleteThey are real beauties! Love the green water!
ReplyDeleteThey certainly are a colourful and pretty species Kelly.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful setting--and a handsome couple! More and more I find myself in awe at the complex lives of various living species, and how they intertwine with one another. And I marvel at how all this has come to be over the lifetime of our home, the Earth.
ReplyDeleteHi Kelly, Great to hear from you. Love the ducks. We were dining at the state park yesterday --and luckily had a table by the window. We had fun watching a couple of ducks playing with each other...
ReplyDeleteGuess you have heard what a rough winter we had.. Not much snow--but so much ICE... Lots of damage.. SAD!!!!
When are you coming back to TN????
Hugs,
Betsy
Hi Kelly
ReplyDeleteCongratulations for the fantastic Blog
Best Regards