I love the video of the Common Goldeneye, a display I've enjoyed watching myself many times here in Scotland. I also love watching Eurasian Teal performing their courtship displays.
Great videos! Thanks for sharing them. No courtship behaviors seen, but we did see a flock of 15-20 beautiful buffleheads cruising the shoreline of Lake Auburn in Maine on a cold morning this past week.
Do you know if the buffleheads are done with the flicker holes in time for the flickers to use them next (same season)?
In contrast to the male buffleheads, it is the male flicker that I see every year teaching his big babies how to find food on our farm during the month of August. I’ve wondered about this consistency and just what the female is doing during this time.
Flickers do indeed reuse nests from year to year, but it's doubtful that a bufflehead and a flicker can use the same nest in the same year.
Those flickers you're seeing in August are family groups foraging. I don't have the resources handy now to answer, but, yeah, as I recall, the burden of provisioning of young varies between male and female as different stages of nesting. Both do indeed feed young, but as I recall there's a period when males do more feeding. But by August, I suspect everyone is on their own and fattening up for migration, which peaks in Sep-Oct for the most part.
Fantastic videos of the ducks. I have never seen these here on the west central coast of florida. Many thanks for both of them . They were very entertaining and helped to make life a little better to know these ducks were still with us. I have great respect for nature of all types and want their habitats to survive.
I was in grade school before I realized how many different ducks there are! And I lived on the Abby river. I remember what a revelation that was and is. Then a local town had a large development and all the roads were named after ducks! A minor thrill, but wow! I now live where I see a lot of waterfowl and loons daily. Lucky? Extremely. This is a great article.
Reminds me of the town of Duck, NC on the Outer Banks. And yes, there is a Bufflehead Road as well as Old Squaw, Sprigtail, Canvasback, Widgeon and Snow Geese Drives.
Cheers to Cello for both an outstanding name and one of the best photos of a male bufflehead I’ve seen. Excellent essay as always, thanks for sharing Brian.
Consciousness expands in so many different ways…you expand knowledge, insight , appreciation , delighted with all you do and share…. poetry can do that too, but nobody gets the role delegated to them…never liked it when any person or institution appointed themselves!
I love the video of the Common Goldeneye, a display I've enjoyed watching myself many times here in Scotland. I also love watching Eurasian Teal performing their courtship displays.
I'm glad that we share those goldeneye across the Atlantic!
Awesome videos - soul cleansing - thanks!
Ducks do indeed cleans the soul. Thanks, Tammy!
Love these videos. Thankful as always
Shelburne Bay now, right? 😀
Wonderful piece, Bryan. The videos are remarkable! You are always expanding my consciousness!
Isn't the consciousness expansion more so the domain of poets (like you), Scudder? 😀
Yes. We want to find hope for more light these days. In select places in nature it can be found. Hope. Even in the darkest of times.
Thanks for being hopeful, Sue!
Good read as usual adding to my love for Nature- videos adding a final super touch. Thanks
I hope you can witness it in person as well, Arati!
Hope so, Bryan!
Oh, my aching neck bones! If I was a girl duck, I'd have a terrible time picking. They're all so impressive.
Oh, if we only knew how they choose!
Great videos! Thanks for sharing them. No courtship behaviors seen, but we did see a flock of 15-20 beautiful buffleheads cruising the shoreline of Lake Auburn in Maine on a cold morning this past week.
Soon, I suspect, you'll see some action! My Bufflehead show was just just south of Portland.
Do you know if the buffleheads are done with the flicker holes in time for the flickers to use them next (same season)?
In contrast to the male buffleheads, it is the male flicker that I see every year teaching his big babies how to find food on our farm during the month of August. I’ve wondered about this consistency and just what the female is doing during this time.
Flickers do indeed reuse nests from year to year, but it's doubtful that a bufflehead and a flicker can use the same nest in the same year.
Those flickers you're seeing in August are family groups foraging. I don't have the resources handy now to answer, but, yeah, as I recall, the burden of provisioning of young varies between male and female as different stages of nesting. Both do indeed feed young, but as I recall there's a period when males do more feeding. But by August, I suspect everyone is on their own and fattening up for migration, which peaks in Sep-Oct for the most part.
Fantastic videos of the ducks. I have never seen these here on the west central coast of florida. Many thanks for both of them . They were very entertaining and helped to make life a little better to know these ducks were still with us. I have great respect for nature of all types and want their habitats to survive.
Yes, not quite as common in Florida, but, hey, you'll have Bald Eagle nesting soon! 😀
I was in grade school before I realized how many different ducks there are! And I lived on the Abby river. I remember what a revelation that was and is. Then a local town had a large development and all the roads were named after ducks! A minor thrill, but wow! I now live where I see a lot of waterfowl and loons daily. Lucky? Extremely. This is a great article.
Thanks! Streets named for ducks -- I hope there might be a Bufflehead Boulevard or a Pochard Parkway! 😀
Reminds me of the town of Duck, NC on the Outer Banks. And yes, there is a Bufflehead Road as well as Old Squaw, Sprigtail, Canvasback, Widgeon and Snow Geese Drives.
Cheers to Cello for both an outstanding name and one of the best photos of a male bufflehead I’ve seen. Excellent essay as always, thanks for sharing Brian.
I heartily agree on the image! Amazing.
What a lovely post and videos - they gave me a needed boost today, thank you!
Thanks, Ruth -- yep, some welcome signals from nature!
Consciousness expands in so many different ways…you expand knowledge, insight , appreciation , delighted with all you do and share…. poetry can do that too, but nobody gets the role delegated to them…never liked it when any person or institution appointed themselves!
Goldeneye drive, Mallard lane, Loon way, many more and so much fun. A bright spot today!
Great videos - thanks for sharing.
Excellent. The videos are awesome. Capturing that type of behavior must have been really fun!