New Jersey Ducks

Northern Pintail


Northern Shoveler


Hooded Mergansers


We finally got out birding this weekend. The top two are some ducks from the Meadowlands. The hooded mergansers are from Lake Nelson. We've had two males and a female for the past day, possibly the same group that was here in the beginning of the year.

Northern Shoveler from Mill Creek Marsh

The bill on this duck always makes us laugh. Here, a male shoveler is getting off a sunken log to take a swim.

Baylands Nature Preserve: Palo Alto, California

Female Common Goldeneye


Long-billed Curlew


Northern Shoveler


American Avocet


Another American Avocet

Mike took a business trip to Silicon Valley and had time to stop at the Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto. The highlight was a Common Goldeneye. We've seen them occasionally in NJ and once on Lake Nelson but never got a good photo before. A better camera helps but there's nothing like sunlight.

Ruddy Duck and Northern Shoveler from Palo Alto

Ruddy Duck

Northern Shoveler

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

Great Blue Heron

Northern Shoveler

Green-winged Teal

Cinnamon Teal

Black Necked Stilt

Thw San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary managed by the Irvine Ranch Water District has an impressive variety of birds.

Juvenile Shoveler

 

We saw four shovelers swimming by (followed by a coot) at the Salton Sea NWR. There were two adults and two juveniles. The adult beak is already large, but in the juvenile, the beak is almost as large as the body.

Northern Shovelers

 

 

 

 

Northern Shovelers at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

Northern Shovelers

Chris has always wanted to see a Northern Shoveler, or at least since we bought a book on the birds of the east coast last year. Today was our lucky day, there were several Northern Shovelers at the Richard W. DeKorte Park at the Meadowlands. The large bill of the shoveler must have been the inspiration for Daffy Duck.