Preparing for the CBC (A Bad Birder Counts Ducks) - DAY I

“I STOLE YOUR DUCK
AND TOOK HIM TO
SAN FRANCISCO” 

Have I mentioned how bad I am at identifying ducks? Have I shared that the normally calm curators on the iNaturalist database sometimes lose their minds when I post (and attempt to identify) ducks? So I mostly skip the ducks unless they walk up to the car and I can read their name tags: "Hi! I'm a Green-winged Teal" or "My Name is Northern Pintail."

Seriously. I do know many species provided the MALES are there (although female Northern Shovelers are easy because of the large bill and male & female Black-bellied Whistling Ducks look the same). I've got a good number of ducks down provided they are close enough. The problem is that my assigned area has ponds too far for me to see the ducks clearly. And of course, the ducks want to hang out IN THOSE DISTANT PONDS. 

Then there is the issue of the rarer birds that hang out in this spot most years are being seen very rarely. I'm getting a little stressed.

12-16-2020

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for Bell County is December 19, however, they will count rare birds seen three days before and three days after THE DAY.  

So, I am going out to my designated area early. Some of those darned rare birds don't always show up when you need them. My trip today went well. Here is my list and some photos. I'm still waiting on the identification of a couple of birds that are small, brown, and easily misidentified.  

[Please note that some of these photos are not what I would call "good" photos. They are "good enough" for iNaturalist AND for proof on eBird. Twenty-three species were observed.]

American Kestrels (3)

Loggerhead Shrike 

Eastern Phoebe (2)

VERMILION FLYCATCHER - rare 

Canada Geese (2)

Great Egret (2)

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Double-crested Cormorant

Pied-billed Grebe (4)

Meadowlarks (25)

American Crow (3 - call)

Black Vulture (2)

Turkey Vulture (6)

Killdeer (3 - call)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (2 - call)

Blue Jay (2 - call)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (3 - call)

American Pipit (5)

Sparrow (unknown variety - waiting on curator)


DUCKS:

Green-winged Teal (6)

Gadwall (30)

Hooded Merganser (look these up - they are amazing!) (4)

American Widgeons (2)

American Pintails (4)


THIS IS 7 DAY COMMITMENT IS NOT REQUIRED. 

Most folks just go out in a group (but not this year - distancing and masks!) on the day of the CBC and count what they see/hear.  Last year I was by myself because I had a broken ankle. They gave me this little spot and I stayed all day. Someone else came out and counted the ducks. I did go a few days before and a few days after, but I just did quick drive-through trips.

This year I am going on these three days before and three days and take my time to work on my duck identification. I may struggle with ducks, but I love birding here. I LEARN more about birds every time I go out. I am also trying out different binoculars and scopes. 

PHOTOS (in no particular order):

Pied-billed Grebes. You can see this is not the best photo (grass in the way), but this is good enough to identify.

Red-tailed Hawk. Often you don't get this great view of the tail.

Sparrow photo 1 -- You really need to see the face and top of the head. :-(

Sparrow photo 2 -- Slightly better shot. I'm thinking Savannah Sparrow.

Red-shouldered Hawk. There is a nest nearby. RSH also have an easily identifiable call. Check this website and compare with Red-tailed Hawk calls.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/sounds

This is the same Red-shouldered Hawk. It flew from the pond to this tree. I have to be careful not to double count. I could have cropped and lightened this photo to identify the bird if I had needed to.

Black Vultures. Don't you love a bird easy to identify?

American Kestrel. Kestrels have a very interesting "hover" while they hunt. Here is a link to an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfjAPT1Zxqk
Meadowlark. There are Eastern and Western Meadowlarks in our area. Then can be identified by different facial features and by different songs. These birds are often in large flocks and glide from trees into fields and just across the tops of the grass. then they almost disappear. Once you have seen them, you will know them thereafter.

Vermilion Flycatcher. eBird says this is a rare species for our location. Don't tell this bird. He is here all the time and has been for years. I have not seen him as often this year as last. But he was here today.

Loggerhead Shrike. See his little mask? He looks like a bandit.

Eastern Phoebe. The phoebe says its name "phoebe." I posted it here for you to compare with the shrike in the photo above. The shrike is black/white. The phoebe is beige/dark brown. But it is easy to confuse them in places where both are flitting around. These were about 20 feet away from each other.

This is the best photo of an American Kestrel perched today. At a distance I sometimes confuse them with doves when the doves are "hunkered down." Kestrels are a chunkier bird and have a thick neck, hooked beak (of a raptor), and a vivid face. You can see it here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel/overview

Canada Geese. These are easy to identify even with a blurry photo.

Now the DUCKS: 

Green-winged Teal: It is the head on this duck that gave it away. They also have a patch of green on the side, but you do not always see that. Before we are done there will be Blue-winged Teal and Cinnamon Teal here too. Right now I only saw the GWT.

Gadwall. This is the most common duck at this spot. 

Northern Pintail. They are beautiful ducks! And see that pointed tail?

Okay. And the last shot is a terrible photo of Hooded Merganser. The good news is that their heads are so unusual, a bad photo is often good enough. This is an example of how you have to make a judgement call sometimes about whether a photo is good enough for an identification.

Hooded Merganser. See that white triangular patch on the black head? See the brown body? Now look here:  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Merganser/id

Well, thanks for coming along with me on this little adventure. I'll try to continue to post each day's high points. On the 19th I will be there all day and I am hoping to at least match last year's list (30 or so birds). 


Final Note:

It almost feels like a contest of wills with these ducks. They often fly away just as I drive up. They move when I try to get a photo. They hide in the grass. They stay at the far pond. Yes, if this is a contest of wills, I think the ducks are winning.







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