Katie's Sightings

Local Ponds

Joubert’s Diggings 12/25/23Joubert’s Diggings

There are three local ponds that I check on when I have the time. The one pictured above is right off the road on my regular weekly drive to get groceries, so I check it often. Last winter it was empty of waterfowl except for some Canada Geese. To my delight, this year, there are Buffleheads, Geese, and Hooded Mergansers residing there!!!

Male ducks molt and acquire their colorful mating feathers twice a year, at the end of summer and in the beginning of spring. Female ducks molt once a year, usually when they have nestlings to take care of. Most birds molt a few feathers at a time, but ducks shed all of their outer feathers when they molt, including their wing feathers. For a few weeks, they become flightless, and are more vulnerable to predation. Right now the males have molted their summer plumage and are in their beautiful mating colors.

Late fall, or early to mid-winter, is when most waterfowl establish their pair bonds, usually while on their wintering grounds. This bond will only last through one breeding season, which is generally from March to the end of May.

It’s the female waterfowl, not the males, that choose their mates. To attract females, males perform elaborate courtship rituals including postures and subtle gestures. The female will pick a drake that has the best mating display, as well as the best plumage for a mate!Hooded Mergansers — Lophodytes cucullatus

This stunning pair of Hooded Mergansers will spend the winter here. In the Spring they will migrate north to the western or coastal areas of Oregon, Washington and Canada to breed. They eat small fish, aquatic insects, amphibians, small mammals, plants, and crustaceans. How lucky we are to have them as winter visitors!Hooded Mergansers — Lophodytes cucullatus

In the photo above, both ducks have their “hoods” upright and in full-on display! Hooded Mergansers are diving ducks. They have serrated bills to hold slippery prey, and special, clear, nictitating membrane on their eyes that enable them to see underwater. The following information on diving ducks is from the website ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-research-science/diving-ducks-into-the-deep. I find it fascinating!

“The body of a diving duck is much more compact and fusiform (wider in the middle and tapering toward the end) than that of a dabbler. Divers’ wings are also more compact, which allows them to be compressed tightly against the body for greater diving efficiency. In addition, divers' legs are set much farther back on their body, and their feet are much larger and have a lobed hind toe. These adaptations help propel the birds while they are underwater.

“In general, most birds are lighter than water. But diving ducks typically have higher body densities than other waterfowl. Just before they dive, the birds compress their feathers against their body, squeezing out air, which further reduces buoyancy. Next, with a single thrust of their powerful legs and feet, diving ducks arch their bodies upward and dive headlong, quickly disappearing beneath the water's surface.

“Once underwater, the birds use their feet and wings to propel themselves downward in search of food. They steer during descent largely by shifting their head and tail positions. Once near the bottom, diving ducks use their feet to maintain a hovering position while they forage for aquatic insects, small mollusks, seeds, vegetation, roots, tubers, and other food. Diving ducks will actively forage at all times of day or night.

“Not surprisingly, the duration of each dive increases with foraging depth. A typical dive takes 10-30 seconds, but diving ducks may remain underwater for a minute or more.”

Your questions and comments are appreciated. Please feel free to email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!