The bridge...

On Friday the 11th, I stopped by the bridge. Along the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail in Latham, a small bridge crosses Shaker Creek. The view of the Mohawk River from there is outstanding, one can see a good ways downriver, and all the way back to the "Niskayuna Wide Waters" section. There were many groups of waterfowl evident just from a glance, which is not always the case, and definitely a good omen. Among several different rafts of Buffleheads were a bunch of birds steaming slowly back upriver. I was puzzled as to their identity because they all looked a bit different from each other, not the expected male/female groupings. After a moment I could see that some of them had dark heads with golden patches along each side of the head, and rufous sides. The rest ranged from black crown/white cheek to overall mottled. It gradually dawned on me that I was looking at the biggest collection of Horned Grebes that I had ever seen, in a variety of plumages. I carefully counted 42 of them.

Distant group of Horned Grebes, Mohawk River, Latham

Poor quality image of Horned Grebes, identifiable breeding-plumaged bird top right

More Horned Grebes

Nonbreeding-plumaged Horned Grebes

At Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve in Clifton Park, there were five Northern Shovelers present, two Redheads, which are unusual for that shallow water location, and calling Virginia Rail and Pied-billed Grebe.

Northern Shoveler, Vischer Ferry NHP

Collins Lake in Scotia was relatively quiet, four Pied-billed Grebes notwithstanding.

Pied-billed Grebes, Collins Lake, Scotia

On Saturday at Vischer Ferry NHP, I finally crossed paths with a pair of Blue-winged Teal. The drake is one of most handsome ducks we see.

Blue-winged Teal male, Vischer Ferry NHP

Colleen noticed that the male has a striking "Y-shaped" white marking on the back of the head.

Blue-winged Teal, note marking on the back of the head

What do you think is worse, the need for this sign, or the fact that it can only be seen from the water, where most hunters are unlikely to have set up a blind...

What's Next:

April 12- 18: Marsh Wren, Sora, and American Bittern should arrive this week in the large cattail marshes where they breed. Great Egrets usually make a few random appearances in the area also as they return northward. Yellow-rumped Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers will begin to move in, along with Blue-headed Vireo and Bank Swallow at the end of the period. 

Next week: Herons, sandpipers, and more warblers.

TW