17Jul-Photo Release

17Jul-Photo Release

Shadow Cliffs – February 05, 2020

17Jul-Photo Release

This particular shoot presented a lot of options – a few Blue Herons, some Mallards, Canada Geese, Pelicans and Cormorants. I can’t identify the songbird though. This shoot also presented several firsts for me.

• 1. Bufflehead: The Woodpecker Tenant. The Bufflehead is the smallest diving duck in North America, and its tiny size is actually a brilliant evolutionary strategy. They nest almost exclusively in old tree cavities created by Northern Flickers (a large species of woodpecker). Because the entry holes are so small, larger ducks like Wood Ducks or Goldeneyes can’t squeeze inside to steal their nesting spots. This keeps the Bufflehead’s eggs incredibly safe from larger competitors.
• 2. Common Goldeneye: The “Whistler”. You often hear a Common Goldeneye before you ever see it. Hunters and birders call them “Whistlers” because their primary wing feathers produce a distinct, loud musical whistling sound during flight. The sound is unique to the species and can carry for long distances across frozen lakes and rivers, allowing flocks to stay in audio contact even in low-visibility winter weather.
• 3. Cinnamon Teal: The Two-Continent Specialist. While many waterfowl migrate long distances north and south within their own hemisphere, the Cinnamon Teal has a highly unusual global distribution. It is the only duck in the Americas with two entirely separate breeding populations: one in western North America and another completely separate population in southwestern South America. The two groups look virtually identical but never meet, separated by the tropical regions of Central America where they only winter.

I bet you can’t tell the difference. 🫣🤫😋😉