Collins Lake

Horned Grebe

Was thronged this morning. We had heard about a Horned Grebe that was seen there yesterday and were hoping to spot it.

Male Hooded Merganser

Female Hoodie

I found it within five minutes after pulling into the Quinlan Park parking lot and walking down the hill. I have only ever seen one before today so that was plenty of excitement. However the little semi-urban lake had lots more to offer.

This Bufflehead surfaced right at my feet
but I was too slow with the camera to get more than this.
However, I got a fantastic glimpse of his beautiful plumage
that I will never forget.

There was large raft of migratory ducks that were bustling around the left side of the lake. There were at least sixty Ring-necked Ducks, a batch of American Wigeons, a long line of Common Mergansers, plenty of Hooded Mergansers, a couple of Mallards, a Wood Duck, Canada Geese and lots of singing passerine birds.

Red-winged Blackbird

American Wigeon

Such fun! I found 191 individuals of 25 species. It isn't a bad drive from here...I hope we can take my BBB...Best Birding Buddy (you know who you are)... there someday soon. 

Ring-necked Ducks, easily identified by the rings...on their bills. lol

American Robin

I also met a nice lady birder, who alas, missed the ducks for the most part as some fishing folks sent them off to the other end of the lake. We had a nice visit though and I learned the whereabouts of a couple of other local hotspots for future perusal.

Common Mergansers

Mi Vida NOCA

I know, I know, it's Mi Vida Loca. But since we sold the cows and our world contracted to a microcosm of its former self, I have kept myself entertained with birds...as you have no doubt noticed....

So for me it has become mi vida NOCA, the latter being the four digit code for Northern Cardinal. BTW I am learning this code for listing because it is a lot quicker to write RWBL than it is to scribble Red-winged Blackbird. I keep hoping the FBI will snoop on one of my lists and think I am a super spy.

It's fun and it gets me and the boss out of the house. He likes to tool around town to see who has a nice barn, who bought a new tractor, whose rows are straight and whose are curly.

I like to find ticks for my lists.

It's kinda loca, but it works for us.

Anyhow, yesterday in the midst of cold howling wind, he needed to go over to Fonda to get a gallon of milk. He asked if I wanted to go down to the boat launch. Since we had seen Green-winged Teal there the day before and listed them on eBird, I agreed despite the nasty weather. GWTE are among my favorite ducks right up there with Ruddy Ducks and Northern Pintails. When the sun hits those green heads there isn't a thing in Oz to compare.

As we arrived another gentleman did too. He was tall and well dressed and sported good binoculars. Ooohhh, a birder! I have only ever met one other birder in our travels, up at Montezuma a while back.

I so wanted to go over and chat, but just couldn't (see introvert, shy, etc.)

Next he took a huge spotting scope out of his car, put it on a tripod, and began scanning the hundreds of geese, scattering of assorted ducks, crows, RWBLs etc. I was consumed with curiosity.

Then he began to fold everything up to leave...and came over to talk to us!

He had come because someone had reported Green-winged Teal there. Maybe it was even my eBird report that sent him down to the confluence of the Schoharie and the Mohawk.

Anyhow, we chatted for a minute or two about the birds there and about Iceland Gulls, which are seen around here now and then, and which I think I may have seen, and then he was on his way. A couple of Bald Eagles sailed by as if in celebration.

It was a little on the loca side, but super cool as well. You simply never know when serendipity will send you a special moment in your wonderful, amazing, and frequently crazy life.

Cool Goose

Not an unusual goose...just our common Rock Pigeon

Every day I do my eBird list, usually walking out as far as I can on our own land, taking into consideration ice and temperatures. And wind. Almost every day I count Canada Geese. Some days there are only one or two. Some days there are hundreds. 

This morning I was out on the front lawn when they started straggling up off the river. With this open winter they sleep in front of the house many nights so I get to see them when they go off to the cornfields, north and south.

About the second gaggle one individual caught my eye. Even in the poor light this miserable morning it was very pale. At first I thought that it was the lone Snow Goose we have been seeing, but it looked too large.

I put the binoculars on it and to my surprise it appeared to be a leucistic Canada. It was pale tan from the neck back; only the head was normal colored. I tried for a photo but the group flew off behind the heifer barn and by the time they were back in sight they were too far off in the dim light to get more than a blur. I will be looking for this bird when we go down to the river to count.