An expected – but still abrupt – change in weather in Erie, Pennsylvania, from “mostly spring-like” earlier in the week to plenty of cold and snow as of Saturday morning (12 March 2022). Current conditions: mostly cloudy, temperature of 22 deg F, not snowing currently but 5-6″ fresh snow on the ground from overnight. Not a good day for the outdoors, so time to catch up on some miscellaneous duck shots from the past couple weeks while waiting for Swan Luge Part 2.
First up, a species not covered much on BirdingPI.com previously, the lovely Gadwall. The following four views are from Long Pond at Presque Isle State Park:
Time for a BirdingPI.com “Bird ID” moment, with reference to the following enlargement from the picture above of a male Gadwall. Note the distinctive white-above-black tail coverts (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_feather), dark bill, high forehead and generally square-ish head, patterned chest, and brown-with-white outline back feathers. Also patches of rufous on the wings as shown in the shots above.
Next up, some decent shots of mostly Ring-necked Ducks in flight and takeoff, on Long Pond and Graveyard Pond (i.e., Lagoon boat launch):
Still seeing Northern Pintails, like this on Long Pond; Pintails on the right, Mallards on the left:
Two shots from the back bay:
Now over to Lake Erie by Presque Isle Lighthouse, looking north:
And over to Thompson Bay for American Coots:
[Editor’s note: American Coots are not ducks.]
Not enough ducks, you say? Don’t worry, plenty more where that came from!
How ’bout Buffleheads!
Buffleheads on right, Ring-necked Duck foreground left, Hooded Merganser background far left:
Still not enough ducks? Tough crowd. Time to break out the big guns with some nice shots of Hooded Merganser:
Hooded Mergansers on Graveyard Pond – male on left with crest raised, male in middle with crest lowered, and female on right:
[Editor’s note: “…break out the big guns with some nice shots of Hooded Merganser…”???]