Ruddy Ducks on Canoe Lake

Last Saturday I joined a small group for a nice hike around the lake at Canoe Creek State Park in Blair County, Pennsylvania. The hike was organized by the Juniata Valley Audubon (http://www.jvas.org/ . . . also on Facebook) and headed by Stan Kotala.

It was a mild but overcast November day, good hiking weather for a leisurely several-mile trip around Canoe Lake. Our leader expertly directed our ears and eyes to a variety of birds, both waterfowl and woodland. Because our aim was to see what ducks we might discover on the lake, for this posting, I’ve chosen to spotlight the Ruddy Duck (Public Domain photo of a summer male by John J. Mosesso).

Not sure why I chose to profile the Ruddy Duck (maybe the blue bill?) over the other worthies—American Coots, Canada Geese, Ring-necked Ducks, or Pied-billed Grebes—but I’m sure they’ll find their way into later posts. Checking my birding log, I see I’ve not listed a sighting of this blue-billed beauty since January 28, 2008! Almost two years . . . don’t fret . . . that’s not because they haven’t been around, more like I haven’t been diligent in my birding trips to open water.

Seeing a bird and identifying it—here I recognize others in the group for having done so—is only half the task. If you’re not already quite familiar with the bird spotted, you’ll need to do a bit of research once home. Of course, the guide you carry will provide immediate input, but I’m typically too distracted with other possible sightings to invest much time in studying the small printed pages. Ha!

So for homework, I investigated the Ruddy Duck at a few of my favorite online sites to see that, like the Hooded Merganser (of my last posting), the Ruddy Duck is a diver (as opposed to a “dabbler” . . . see above post). And like the merganser mentioned, he too winters in the southern states (as well as in parts of the West Coast and in Central America). Thus we probably caught this small group of Ruddy Ducks (males and females) on a lake-hopping trip south.

What I’m sure I’ve read before but didn’t retain, the male in only “ruddy” (brownish red) with a blue bill in spring and summer. In the winter, his sides become gray and his bill dull blue or grayish. Of course, there’s no mistaking that full white cheek and dark head. As to the female, she looks like the winter male but has a dark line through her white cheek.

So much to learn--but isn’t it fun? So until next time . . . Keep birds in your heart!

Georgia Anne