Redhead Ducks

This morning I searched, in vain, for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that I and others have seen at Centennial Park. This is the first time I have looked for this sapsucker in weeks, as I noted in an earlier post, because this particular sapsucker appeared exceptionally disturbed by birders (even when I drove up about 50 feet from its tree the last time I looked for him). There did not seem to be many fresh-appearing sap wells in the trees so this sapsucker may have moved away.

I was pleasantly surprised to find 3 Hooded Mergansers and several Redheaded Ducks in the pond at this very-city, lots of activity park. The Mallards, American Wigeon and dark-headed geese are fairly common here. Since this pond is pretty small and without fencing I was able to get some good close-ups (as I have noted before, I am unable to digiscope with my equipment)of one of the Redheads by using my 12X setting on my digital camera then cropping to enlarge the photos including these two. They show the field marks quite well: roundish, rufous (reddish-brown)head, yellowish eye, bluish bill with black nail (at end of bill), black breast and lower neck, and grayish body. Be sure to double-click on the photos to see these features, especially the eyes, best. The black hindquarters are not as apparent in these pics.
SeEtta

Getting back to normal for birds (and me)

Today was more like our usual Canon City weather after a snowstorm--temps got up to around 40 and the sun was shining, beginning the melt of the snow cover. Water at local ponds is starting to open up more, with additional waterfowl on the ponds.

My knee was a little better so I ventured out to several ponds and other local birding areas. I found the Common Raven in the bottom photo scavenging leftovers in a strip-mall parking lot. Though a fairly common bird in much of the U.S., they are an interesting species--quite adaptive to opportunities afforded by humans and a member of the very intelligent corvid family (along with such species as crows and jays)



I saw this male Canvasback, along with 4 others, at a local private pond. Though these birds can be seen throughout almost all of the U.S. seasonally, they are not very common around here.
SeEtta