Day 362: December 28th - Winter mergs & others

Clear, light breeze, 36 degrees

       Sharon and I were in Rockland County for a family gathering and decided to stop over at Rockland Lake to see if the cast of characters had changed since our last visit back on December 1^st.  As I approached the lake from Parking Lot #1, I first spotted the Ruddies which were so prevalent at that time.  The Buffleheads which were here in good numbers a month ago were not seen today.  Perhaps they were on the other side of the lake which time will not permit us to explore today, but they were absent from this area.   One bird quite obvious through its constant chatter was the Belted kingfisher.  As I scoped out the waters in front of me, the kingfisher flew first to the left and then to the right and then back again.  These birds are very difficult to get a shot of because they refuse to sit in one spot for very long, especially if you are trying to photograph them!  Finally, I did capture a distant image and I was happy with that. 

       I saw through the binoculars that there seemed to be a concentration of waterfowl over near the fishermen’s parking area, and so, I retreated to the car and drove on around to that lot.  Sure enough, right in front of me were several Common mergansers.  After photographing this fine lady, I began to see more and more swimming from behind the cover of a nearby cove.  The vast majority were females with less than a half dozen males to be found.

       The coots that were so numerous on December 1 were much fewer in number although I did see a few mixed in with the decent number of Ruddy ducks resting in typical Ruddy fashion on the water’s surface.

        As I scanned the far shoreline, I was surprised to find not one, but a group of three Great  blue herons all withing the same field of the binoculars.  I have come to expect to find these herons during the winter on open waters, but I generally don’t find three of them abreast!  I often wonder what will become of these birds when the depth of winter sets in and the water freezes over.  Some I know will find hunting grounds along the Hudson, but will some head south at that late date?

       My last good look of the day was a group of Northern shovelers swimming in close to the boat dock.  The males were beginning to show much better breeding plumage then they exhibited a month ago.  Still, they have a ways to go before reaching the pinnacle at which time their flanks will be a rich rufous color and the head an iridescent green.  We are into the breeding season, so they better get moving!  I expect when I see the shovelers down in Florida, they will be much more brilliantly adorned than these guys were.  It won’t be long before we will be there to see if my hunch plays out.  For now, these males were really not all that shabby!