When we saw this photograph, we had to share it with you and all our readers to show how a new nest box can make a big difference this spring. And how lucky is the birder who got the thrill of the year to see a screech owl attending a newly installed big nest box, possibly already incubating a clutch of white eggs! How exciting it was just to see this new photograph, much less to know that the astute birder must be thrilled to have the chance to observe and benefit a family of owls – this year, and for years to come. Other years it may attract other pairs of screech owls, American Kestrels, or even Wood Ducks.
This year's theme for the World Migratory Bird Day highlights the important role of citizen science reports in bird conservation by endorsing the "Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter" theme. Highlighting the important role of community science for the conservation of migratory birds, World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is a United Nations-sponsored initiative that recognizes the importance of birds as key indicators of our environment's health.
How do you choose just one birding festival out of this list of remarkable opportunities for birders to enjoy some social birding at a Birding Festival? May could be named Birding Festival month considering all the birding festivals available for people to attend across the United States and Canada. Each birding festival is different, but they are all created with opportunities for experienced and novice birders in mind. There is truly so much to enjoy during Birding Festival events, such as guided field trips, family friendly activities, informative workshops and presentations, photo-oriented birding trips, featured speakers, a birding marketplace, art exhibits, and other attractions.
Birds of Prey are migrating north in big numbers across the United States and Canada, many after migrating north from wintering areas in South America, Central America, and Mexico. Most Swainson's Hawks began their flights north from the grasslands of Argentina, while Broad-winged Hawks are winging north from the Amazon River basin. The Broad-wings are breaking through in impressive numbers in southern Texas, including as many as13,650 crossing the border last Thursday at the Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park, and Swainson's Hawks are close behind them. Up north Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles, Sharp-shinned Hawks, and other raptors are migrating in exciting numbers too – plus thousands of Turkey Vultures.
A week of new sightings began Thursday with a look at the first Great Blue Heron at Melody's Marsh, the first in North Dakota that is, preceded by Great Blue sightings in Minnesota 2 weeks before and in northern South Dakota 5 days earlier. At Charo Marsh 6 Baird's Sandpipers were firsts as they foraged with a Greater Yellowlegs. Friday was a much bigger migration day with first of year birds including 4 American Avocets, 6 Great Egrets, 7 Bonaparte's Gulls, and 28 Turkey Vultures, plus 14 more early White Pelicans and another Great Blue Heron. I also found my first nesting Giant Canada Goose of the year Friday, along with the first nest-building Red-tailed Hawk – the Krider's Red-tail no less.
Lightweight, compact, and attractively priced, Zeiss just introduced the Conquest Apia 65, a new premium spotting scope that provides great versatility in a compact format with outstanding optics and ergonomics – it's perfect for detailed bird observations. The design features reduced distances between optical elements, the use of aspherical designs, and a robust aluminum‑magnesium mechanical construction – and it is fully optimized to be compact and lightweight. The new Zeiss Conquest Apia 65 is an exciting addition to the Zeiss lineup of premium birding optics and accessories.
Hummingbirds are on their way north, and you can choose among the variety of impressive Perky-Pet Top-Fill Glass Hummingbird Feeders to find the one you like best. The wide-mouth opening and patented Top-Fill design ensures that filling and cleaning this line of hummingbird feeders is always easy and mess-free! The feeding ports are topped by life-like flowers inspired by hollyhocks, and they are colorful, soft, and flexible. In fact, the flowers' long-stem design also acts as a natural bee guard. One popular example is the Perky-Pet Diamond Wine Top-Fill Glass Hummingbird Feeder, a favorite of birders (and hummingbirds) that holds 24 ounces of sugar-water nectar and has 5 feeding ports.
What's a "Sale on Sale"? You get 25 percent off all shoes that are Already On Sale at All Birds - but some shoes are 50 percent or even 65 percent off! Made with sustainable materials, always with ample foot support, they are lightweight, bouncy, and wildly comfortable, All Birds sneakers are always ready to go birding when you are. Actually, All Birds shoes are good to go anywhere for everyday use or casual dress-up, and the comfy support level is impressive as are the styles and color selection – some are even waterproof. The All Birds Cruisers are popular, as are the Dashers and other styles – some are slip-ons, some are lace-ups – and there are boot styles too.
Action is a pretty broad term, and so is action photography; but this spring the action is rampant among the variety of ducks that have migrated into my area. And during the past 10 days it’s been the regal Canvasbacks that have been most active on the courtship and mating side of behavior, including ducks performing innate behavioral displays that are species specific. It’s always exciting to see these displays and to watch Canvasbacks interacting – as pairs or as groups – but getting close to these wary ducks is not an easy task or even a fruitful wish some years. This year, with an abundance of Canvasbacks in nearby marshes, I’ve been very active and photographically lucky among these impressive waterfowl, and I wanted to share some of the behavioral photos I managed to take with some insights about taking the photos and how these large ducks behave during their spring migration stopover period.
Changing afternoon sunlight and sky colors reflecting on spring wetlands provided a variety of settings for a photographic study of Canvasback behaviors. As 2 males follow, the leading male and female mutually raised their necks high in a subtle innate behavioral display called a “neck-stretch” (600mm zoom lens, f-10 aperture, 1/1600 shutter speed, 800 ISO.)
As always, it’s a matter of finding a photo-friendly individual, pair, or flock that will permit me to get into position nearby with the sun at my back with the hope of not impeding the ducks’ behavior. Secondarily I hope the Canvasbacks will relax, and maybe even approach my mobile photo blind (car) a little closer. This time of year it can even be a small group of ducks or a pair that is consumed by hormones and blinded by the lure of a sexual encounter with another Canvasback that can provide a surprise photo opportunity. Any photo ops are welcome, and when the action turns to behavioral displays between a female and her mate, or a female and interested suitors, the action can become both exciting and fast-paced when the big ducks slip into your camera lens’s range.
More of a maintenance display, wing flaps always provide exciting opportunities to take a stand-alone action photo, or to include it in a series of photographs. The shutter speed was ample to stop the motion at its peak, providing a sharp image; however, a still photo that shows some movement in the wings can be just as effective (600mm zoom lens, f-9 aperture, 1/1000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).
Several Variables: Lighting, water colors, bird colors, movements of the water in varied wind conditions, and of course, movements of the birds themselves dictate the successes of your photo chances and the quality of the photos you get. It's interesting to see how the colors of the ducks and water changes from marsh to marsh, hour by hour with changes in angle and intensity of the sunlight and wind. This week I was really surprised by momentary changes in colors as I watched a duck move through the water a few feet at a time, with different color shades changing as though a dial was being turned. The key was to take advantage of this interesting opportunity to take portraits of the duck as it was swimming, and anticipate unpredictable behavior that might transpire. At the top of the ‘variables list’ is the species’ behavior, including innate behavioral displays.
Canvasbacks were notorious for not showing their hand in advance, so a quick 1-2 response to this male’s “head-throw display” performed toward a female required an instant pre-focused reaction. Innate behavioral displays help to ensure mating is species-specific and to prevent hybridizing between different species. Often, rather than performing the full head-throw display, a male will simply utter a courting note with its head and neck positioned as illustrated in the top photo of the display (600mm telephoto lens, f-7 aperture, 1/1000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).
Canvasbacks have been very active at several area marshes between 4 miles north and 14 miles south including Bobby’s Bay 2 miles north and Melody’s Marsh ½ mile south, plus 8 other Canvasback marshes. This is Canvasback central for a period during their spring migration stopover, and this year area marshes seem to be especially attractive to the largest of all North American ducks. Most of the Cans nest farther north, possibly even at Canvasback-famous Delta Marsh in Manitoba, perhaps farther north. Some are wary, but most have been pretty trusting, and when you position yourself in a location near an active flock, they may move closer in a surprisingly short time, even while continuing their pairing and mating activities. And that’s when the excitement begins as you focus on individual birds, on pairs, and small flocks.
One especially surprising Canvasback episode began with a pair swimming innocently away from an active group of interacting Cans, swimming rather slowly, straight in my direction. As they approached closer, I began taking an occasional photo of the female, then the male separately, to get some head-on images of the ducks swimming on the quiet water. As they approached closer than I ever would have expected, they began angling closer to one another and I began photographing the pair together – and then it happened. Without any advance warning, the female lowered her and began moving slightly in front of the male, and after taking the first 2 photos I realized what was happening.
As described in the text, the copulation sequence was quite a surprise and included a “courting note display” from the male, a “pre-copulation display” by the female, and momentary copulation (500 to 600mm zoomed lens, f-9 aperture, 1/640 shutter speed, 800 ISO).
At that point I was photographing rather frantically to document what was sure to follow, but the male seemed to fumble a bit before regaining his composure and approaching the female as she submerged most of her body and the pair copulated as I photographed. Count to 3 and the female regained her composure and the pair turned broadside to begin swimming right. After a few feet, the female lifted her head and body upright to flap her wings, and the male followed 45 seconds later, and on they swam. It was almost as if they performed before my camera – true species ambassadors that provided a sequence that could be used to illustrate a college animal behavior text.
Sometimes, in large flocks of Canvasbacks a single female will attract the attention of several courting males, but just one will be successful at pairing with each female according to waterfowl researchers (600mm zoom lens, f-9 aperture, 1/1600 shutter speed, 800 ISO).
Was that the ultimate spring exchange between a pair of Canvasbacks? In retrospect, most mating displays are meant to lead toward pairing, mating, and ultimately to spring nesting and reproduction. The Canvasbacks I’ve been concentrating on photographing have provided a full spectrum of spring behaviors, and as with any birds, their behaviors and activities provided a variety of photo opportunities. Whether its Ring-necked Pheasants or Sharp-tailed Grouse, American Avocets or Wilson’s Phalaropes, Common Loons or Swainson’s Hawks, spring is in the air and it’s exciting to view the rites of spring while birding, especially when you have a chance to photograph bird behavior now throughout the nesting season. Good Luck!
