BuffleheadWith the days getting shorter, there is proportionately less time to take pictures at this time of year. And it has seemed recently like the times I have available for photography don't coincide with the times when there's a significant amount of sun! Despite the weather I did get out recently and managed to get close to this Bufflehead at North Point Marina.
I won't hide that I wish this was an adult male bird because they are so much more attractive than this immature bird (which looks very similar to the female but has a less-distinct ear patch). Nevertheless, I was very pleased with the photos I got of this bird.
As I wrote in a previous post, the Bufflehead's name is a contraction of Buffalo Head, which I still think is a little mean. The adult male is a very attractive bird. The Bufflehead nest in holes left by Pileated Woodpeckers and is apparently largely monogamous. They will be with us most of the winter, returning to Alaska and Canada to breed in the spring.
BuffleheadAdult male Bufflehead are one of the most easily identified waterfowl, having a striking white and black head, while the females and immature birds are fairly distinctive but possible to confuse with female and immature Ruddy Duck at a glance. I have already seen hundreds of Bufflehead flying along the Lake Michigan 'coast'. Bufflehead are one of the diving ducks as can be seen in the picture above. They can stay down for a surprising amount of time and cover a surprising distance under water. They will often dive to avoid danger or if they are startled.
I won't hide that I wish this was an adult male bird because they are so much more attractive than this immature bird (which looks very similar to the female but has a less-distinct ear patch). Nevertheless, I was very pleased with the photos I got of this bird.
As I wrote in a previous post, the Bufflehead's name is a contraction of Buffalo Head, which I still think is a little mean. The adult male is a very attractive bird. The Bufflehead nest in holes left by Pileated Woodpeckers and is apparently largely monogamous. They will be with us most of the winter, returning to Alaska and Canada to breed in the spring.
BuffleheadAdult male Bufflehead are one of the most easily identified waterfowl, having a striking white and black head, while the females and immature birds are fairly distinctive but possible to confuse with female and immature Ruddy Duck at a glance. I have already seen hundreds of Bufflehead flying along the Lake Michigan 'coast'. Bufflehead are one of the diving ducks as can be seen in the picture above. They can stay down for a surprising amount of time and cover a surprising distance under water. They will often dive to avoid danger or if they are startled.
3 comments:
It is very frustrating trying to take pictures with very little sun this fall! Love your Bufflehead shots! Keep up with this great blog!
Thank you, and you're absolutely right. The positive things are that you don't have to get up quite as early and the angle of the sun doesn't get so high.
Ah well, if it didn't change this much I wouldn't see birds such as this!
We are just coming into longer days in the southern hemisphere (Tasmania, Australia), but I read an internet post the other day from a guy in Northern Norway, where from now until mid January, the sun doesn't rise at all!! I don't think I'd enjoy that very much
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