Tag: sea duck

Common eiders with downy ducklings…

Posted on by Catherine

molting, preening, feeding, rafting and resting in coves off Gloucester and Rockport.

Common eiders cluster in the coves during breeding season. They can’t fly when they’re molting and raft off loudly and orderly when disturbed by small boats, people on shore, and gulls. When adults scaled the rocks, the elements were handy. Waves tossed the ducklings atop a veritable shag carpet of seaweed which looks especially thick this season.

photos: Common Eider breeding season 2023 in Gloucester and Rockport coves off Long Beach. Distant snapshots through binoculars.

Breeding season for barn swallows and tree swallows, too–incubating now. Tree swallow photo bomb in one of the video snippets below. (Adult swallows take breaks from incubating to eat. Common eider females incubate solo and do not eat until after hatching.)

BEAUTIFUL FALL MIGRATION

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Cape Ann, and throughout Coastal Massachusetts, is experiencing a magnificent late summer and early fall migration, and not just with Monarchs. Other species of butterflies migrating in plentiful numbers include Painted Ladies and Buckeyes. All along our beaches and waterways, from Rockport to Gloucester to Manchester to Essex, we are seeing steady streams of shorebirds, waders, and songbirds gathering. Several mass movements of Green Darners have come ashore, too.

Clover Plover Killdeer Chick, June 2019

A small flock of Killdeers at Good Harbor Beach was recently observed. It’s difficult to know for certain if they are the same family that nested this summer (our Clover Plovers), but they certainly appeared to have a routine, first dining on crickets during the hour before dawn in the marsh, then flying over to the Creek to take a family bath.

Killdeer eating a cricket at GHB

Killdeers Good Harbor Beach September 21, 2019

When out and about, take a look for Willets, Black-bellied Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, Whimbrels, and Spotted Sandpipers, to name just some. The young Ring-tailed Duck is still here, too, and I am wondering if she’ll be calling Cape Ann home this winter.

Ring-tailed Duck female nodding off while swimming 

SWEET “MYSTERY” SEA DUCK

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

My friend Elaine pointed out this sweet little sea duck sleeping on the rocks. Softly hued in shades of white, buff, and chocolate brown, with root beer colored eyes, a pale blue mottled bill, bluish-white feet and legs, and only about as large as a crow, we struggled to figure out what species. The little toothy hook at the end of the bill gave it away. I am almost ninety percent certain the little mystery duck is a female immature Long-tailed Duck. If any of our readers know otherwise, please write 🙂

Long-tailed Ducks breed in the Arctic wetlabds but in the winter they are found in our area, along the coast in salty water and sandy shorelines. Perhaps the young duck will stay for the winter. Write and let us know if you see any Long-tailed Ducks in your neighborhood. Thank you!