New Arrivals

Ring-necked Duck

I woke up yesterday and heard ducks on the catchment pond outside the back of my house. Interested to see how many and what they were I grabbed my binoculars and found these two Ring-necked Ducks sharing the pond with a dozen Mallard. Since the Ring-necked Duck is a diving duck, I didn't think they would find the fairly shallow catchment area suitable....apparently I was wrong!

The shot above was taken with a 2x teleconverter in low light conditions so isn't exactly a masterpiece but it was sure enough to confirm an ID and add a species to the backyard count. For some reason I keep trying to call the Ring-necked Duck a Ring-billed Duck. While researching this post I discovered that the Ring-necked Duck is named for a chestnut ring around its neck which is really only visible in the hand. Since the bird was named from specimens, this makes sense however the field mark I most often use is the ring around the bill, which quickly separates it from a Scaup.

Eastern Bluebird

The same morning I heard the subtle song of an Eastern Bluebird - the first I had heard this year in my backyard. As you can see from the picture above, a pair of bluebirds have taken an interest in the nest box I put up last year.

I checked back on my blog to see when the bluebirds had turned up last year and it was April 2nd when a pair started to occupy the box. If the pair I saw yesterday end up nesting there (which would be really cool), I'll have a new early-season backyard record!

The local American Goldfinches are starting to change color now - another sure sign spring is near!