new feathers

In November, Mallards paddle on the pond before they migrate to warmer places. The male Mallards molt their feathers in the autumn and regrow their green head feathers; in the following spring brilliant colors will help each male find a mate for the next breeding season.

two killdeers

I've seen two Killdeer around the pond since early June.  I wonder if they're are pair or siblings?  

If they are a pair, wonder where the nest is?  

The pond and it's environs are full of questions that I ask myself every day!

ducklings napping

 

sandpipers

We see many Sandpipers on the pond each Spring and Autumn.  They are hard to tell apart! I think this is a Solitary Sandpiper, because it has a dark bill.  Solitary Sandpipers nest further north of Minnesota, but Spotted Sandpipers nest all around the state.  

green heron resting on log

very green heron

The taxonomic name for Green Heron is Butorides virescens.  It translates to the bird "resembles bitterns" and the color is "greenish".  Green Herons hunt from shore rather than wading like other herons who have longer legs, so they like to stand on the log to hunt for food.  Today he spread his wing out fully so we could admire the green.

green heron preening

The logs are favorite perches for all the creatures in or near the pond - - turtles, ducks, herons, frogs, song birds. The Green Heron Butorides virescens finds it a choice place to preen his feathers while staying close to his hunting area, in case a meal appears nearby.

sora chicks

 

Described as "secretive" birds and rarely seen, we have a pair of Sora Porzana carolina living in the wetland around the pond.  I saw a lone egg a few days ago, and thought it was the start of a clutch. Today, this little black cotton-ball with orange/red tufts under his big beak appeared!  Soras start incubating eggs when they have only a few in the nest, and go on laying eggs (one a day) until they have around a dozen eggs. Consequently, each chick hatches on different day. One parent tends to the hatchlings and the other continues incubating the remaining eggs until each hatches.

muskrats chasing ducks

As the Mallards swim around the pond, feeding on plants growing at the edge, the muskrats chase the ducks.  The water mammals don't want to share with the birds. Muskrats' burrow or tunnel system is nearby, with an underwater entrance.

mallards showing off

After a month of no ducks on the pond at all, there have been many Mallards feeding and napping here. They are gathering to prepare for their fall migration. Mallards can indeed survive cold weather, but when they can no longer feed on live aquatic plants, insects in the water, or grain in snow-covered fields, it is time to fly south.

Each day in Autumn they search for food around the edge of the pond, nap in the warm sun, or practice their courtship moves. Mallards engage in seasonal monogamy, in which new pair bonds are formed each season. Usually they form these bonds on their wintering grounds.  And with new handsome feathers after molting season, why not show off?

Some of the courtship displays by Mallards are rhythmic head-pumping, signaling interest. Males will show off by pulling both wings and tail up to show off purple-blue wing feathers. Or, the male will raise out of the water, pull his head up, and give a whistle (as above).

convivial ducks

This summer has been very scant on rainfall so far.  The pond water level is currently low, and there is plenty of algae floating.  But the rocks are always good places for sharing the sunshine.  Female Mallard and Hooded Merganser have raised their young broods here, and shared the big rock today.

new Mallards, second clutch

Mallard female has been hiding her second clutch of eggs near the pond among grasses.  Today she led all 6 hatched ducklings to the pond, where they paddled around and started to feed.  They can eat seeds, stems, and roots of many different plants; also aquatic invertebrates such as worms, beetles, dragonflies, or insect larvae. 

great blue heron

Stealthily, this Great Blue Heron appeared on the shore this afternoon.  It stood still for only a little while, looking for prey; they eat fish, frogs, aquatic creatures, even small mammals.  Is it a male and female? Great Blue Herons Ardea herodias look alike except for their size, so more likely to tell if we can see them in pairs.

goslings

A Canada Goose family had lunch on the pond today. The adults, one in front and one behind, led the 5 young goslings to find food.  The young are able to feed the first day they hatch out of their eggs, and eat the same as adult gooses - - green vegetation and grains, small insects and fish.  Like many water birds, Canada Goose Branta canadensis are susceptible to the dangers that humans have created, like this plastic netting caught in the beak of one gosling.

On closer look, one of the young geese struggled with a piece of plastic netting caught in the hinge of its bill.  The gosling was able to keep up with the others but we wonder about its future health. 

green heron

This is the first time we've seen a Green Heron this year.  Last year, posts on this blog showed the Butorides virescens several times --  describing what they eat, how they hunt for food, and how they use tools.  (see posts on 7-09-2020,  7-15-2020,  and 9-8-2020.

Green Heron is a small bird, usually 17 inches long.  When stealth is necessary, the neck is pulled in towards the body, but this bird pictured has it out half-way. It can extend the neck even longer to snap up prey.  Adults have a glossy, dark greenish iridescent cap, a greenish-grey back and wings, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front.  Legs are yellow, and the long bill has a sharp point. 

mallard ducklings

 Mallard drake wants to keep an eye on his family.

hooded mergansers

Late on this balmy Spring day, a pair of Hooded Mergansers landed on the pond. They might be migrating, needing a place to stop and rest. We watched them paddle around a bit near the far shoreline. As the sunlight dimmed, the turtles who spent the afternoon warming themselves on the rocks started swimming back into the pond. Neither species seemed to be bothered by the other. This turtle sat comfortably with the ducks for a long time, each enjoying the end of winter.

dabbling ducks

Ducks are generally described by birdwatchers as 'dabblers' or 'divers'.  This refers to how the ducks feed on the water of ponds and lakeshores. Mallards are dabblers. They paddle slowly in shallow water looking for snails, worms, insects, or seeds among the aquatic plant material. They dip their heads under water and search for food with their bills.  But their bodies are very buoyant, so when feeding they are almost comical as they bob and dabble, with tails upright and legs visible.

green heron hunting

Green Herons look small and stocky (pictured here), until one is hunting for a meal on the shore of the pond.  Then they stretch their neck full length  to reach the prey.

They hang out in small freshwater wetlands near ponds and streams lined with thick vegetation.  All the better to hide in while hunting. 

Herons are opportunistic feeders . . .  they'll eat fish or whatever they find along the shore . . . aquatic insects, frogs, grasshoppers, snakes, or small rodents.

A Green Heron Butorides virescens is one of the few birds that actually uses tools.  They will try a variety of baits and lures, including leaves, insects, earthworms, twigs, or feathers . . .  dropping the item onto the surface of the water and grabbing the small fish that comes up.

We saw this one pick up floating bits and fling them back on to the water surface.

green heron

Today a heron was fishing on the edge of the pond.  Green Herons Butorides virescens eat mainly small fish, but also insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails, amphibians, reptiles, and small rodents.
They hunt at all times of the day by standing still at the water’s edge, in vegetation, or by walking slowly in shallow water.  Green Herons nest and breed the north, including parts of Minnesota.