Whitaker Ponds Nature Park II

January 22, 2015 0 By Audrey

I made a quick visit to Whitaker Ponds yesterday morning since it is so close to home. The park was foggy, but there were plenty of birds to see.

One in particular, with a lovely song, that I have only encountered by sound this year until now. Their classic conk-la-ree! song reminds me of summer days in the South though they are common all across North America. Walking around the pond, I finally laid eyes on the beautiful Red-winged Blackbird, perched as it was on a not-so-beautiful piece of industrial machinery:

RedWingedBlackbird

I also came across an unfamiliar species swimming in the pond:

These lovely ladies are Common Mergansers; large diving ducks with orange-red bills, chestnut-colored heads with a white chin and neck (which distinguishes them from the Red-breasted Merganser).

 Other cool sightings:

And just for fun, a video of an Anna’s Hummingbird:

Enjoy!

Audrey