Week Of Warmer Weather Brings Wildlife Activity

February 23, 2014  •  2 Comments

American CootAmerican Coot

It has been a while since I've spoken to any length about the American Coot.  It can be seen in migration in northern Pennsylvania and is listed as a winter resident to the southern half of Pennsylvania.

They are an odd looking bird seen mostly scooting across the water and diving for food in shallow waters of lakes.  One would think they are a duck but they are not.  A dead give-a-way, when you can see them, is the lobed feet.

 

When swimming they look like ducks.

American CootAmerican Coot

American Coot

 

 On land (or ice) they look more chickenlike, walking rather than waddling.

American CootAmerican Coot

American Coot

 

The Red-breasted Merganser spends its winters mainly in salt water along both coasts of the United States.  It breeds on wooded lakes and tundra ponds of Alaska and Canada.  If you see one in Pennsylvania, it is during its migration or a rare winter resident of Erie area or on the lower Delaware River.  Typically migrating in groups of 5 to 15, their inland flights occur at night and coastal flights during the day.

Red-breasted MerganserRed-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted Mergansers

 

The Red-breasted Merganser lives mainly on fish.  It dives underwater and uses its long pointed bill lined with sharp tooth-like projections to capture its meals. 

Red-breasted Merganser (male)Red-breasted Merganser (male)

Red-breasted Merganser (male)

 

The female Red-breasted Merganser lacks the colorful display of the male.

Red-breasted Merganser (female)Red-breasted Merganser (female)

Red-breasted Merganser (female)

 

The high winds made it difficult to obtain sharp photographs but it did add interest in the waves and blowing crest.

Red-breasted Merganser (male)Red-breasted Merganser (male)

Red-breasted Merganser (male)

 

The mergansers are strong fliers and among the fastest of ducks, capable of achieving speeds of up to 80 miles per hour.

Red-breasted Merganser (male)Red-breasted Merganser (male)

Red-breasted Merganser - male in front, female in back

 

To view more images of the Red-breasted Mergansers, please view the end of the Waterfowl gallery.

Most of the gulls in the area were gathered in groups on the ice.  Once in a while they flew overhead looking for snacks.

Ring-billed GullRing-billed Gull

Ring-billed Gull

 

I returned once again to an active eagle nest that I visited a lot last year.  They are currently incubating one or more eggs in the nest this year.  I could see one eagle sitting on the nest.  After about 1/2 hour, the mate flew in and landed on a nearby tree.

Bald EagleBald Eagle

Bald Eagle

 

After some vocal demonstrations, the nested eagle flew off in the other direction presumably to look for food.

Bald EagleBald Eagle

Bald Eagle in Flight

 

Then, the other eagle left its perch and flew to the nest to eventually settle down on the egg(s).

Bald EagleBald Eagle

Bald Eagle Landing on Nest

 

Bald Eagles mate for life.  I have read that the only time they find a new mate is because one of them dies.  It is very interesting to watch how well they care for their young such as the "egg sitting" switch I witnessed and described in the photos above. 

There are several eagle webcams around the country that provide a look into the lives of these majestic birds.  Although it is sometimes not pretty, it is amazing to watch an eaglet break through its egg, be fed and cared for by the parents such as warding off attacks by predators and provide protection during storms, up to the day it fledges the nest.

Here are a couple of links I am currently watching.

Berry College Eagle in Georgia - As of this writing they have one eaglet hatched and one egg remaining. 

Pittsburgh Eagle in Pennsylvania - As of this writing they have one egg laid.

 

To view more images of the Bald Eagle, view the Birds of Prey gallery.

 

Thanks for looking and come back soon.

Dan

 

 


Comments

Dan Gomola Wildlife Photography
Thanks for visiting my blog Julie. Your comments are appreciated very much. I look forward to the spring ice melt in hopes of improving on my migratory waterfowl images.
Julie G.(non-registered)
Wonderful post filled with interesting information and superb photographs! How exciting it must be to visit the goings on at the eagle nest. They certainly are magnificent creatures. We are seeing large numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers in our area (Chicago) too. I did not know that they could fly so fast. What an extremely gifted photographer you are! It's been a pleasure visiting your excellent blog! I will surely check back.

Also, a very gracious thank you for the nice remarks (through email) you left about my blog. Much appreciated!
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