MIGRANT SWALLOWS AND DIVING DUCKS

     While watching for birdlife at Lake Onalaska, a large backwater off the Mississippi River in Wisconsin, on our computer screen on March 21 and 22 of this year, I noticed many each of migrant tree swallows, common goldeneye ducks, bufflehead ducks and ring-necked ducks above and on that lake at the same time.  The swallows were speeding and swerving low to the water to catch flying insects while the three kinds of ducks were diving under water from the surface to ingest small crustaceans, mollucs, aquatic insect larvae and water vegetation.  Each species was obviously refueling to continue its migration to its nesting territories.    

     Drake goldeneyes were also constantly and vigorously courting females of their kind.  When courting, each drake throws his head back, then snaps it forward with an accompanying kick of his orange legs.

     In March, the attractive tree swallows sweep north over the North American continent from coast to coast, feeding on flying insects along the way.  Each bird flashes the blue of its back, then the white of its belly, as if signaling, as it turns this way and that to catch its prey.

     The handsome goldeneyes and buffleheads are closely related, and their appearances and behaviors indicate that.  Drakes of both species are black on top, with iridescent, green heads, and white bellies and flanks.  Goldeneye males have a white spot on each cheek, while bufflehead drakes have a puffy, white "bonnet" on the backs of their heads.  Hen goldeneyes and buffleheads are mostly brown, good camouflage when raising ducklings.  And both genders of goldeneyes have yellow irises.        

     Ring-necked drakes are regal with black feathering on top and chest, gray flanks and a vertical, white bar between the black and gray on each side.  Their mates, however, are brown. 

     Interestingly, tree swallows, goldeneyes and buffleheads hatch young in tree cavities where wind ripped limbs off trees, and in boxes erected for them.  Goldeneyes also use hollows chipped out by crow-sized pileated woodpeckers, buffleheads use holes chiseled by robin-sized flickers and the swallows raise young in cavities created by sparrow-sized downy woodpeckers. 

     All migrants at Onalaska, tree swallows rear offspring in hollows near bodies of water in open country in the northern United States and across Canada.  Goldeneyes and buffleheads hatch ducklings near the shores of ponds and lakes in Canada's and Alaska's boreal forests.  Ring-necks nest in clumps of grass close to water in forest clearings across Canada.  

     On March 22nd, by computer screen, I had the joy of seeing the wild beauties of gatherings of goldeneyes and ring-necks bobbing gently on Onalaska's sky-reflecting, gray waters during a snow fall, under a gray sky.  But the dreary sky and snow fall didn't bother the ducks because they could still dive under the ice-free water to get food.  Most goldeneyes were in open water, as they often do, while ring-necks were along the brushy shorelines, as they often do.  But there was a little mixing of species.  

     The goldeneyes were courting in the snowfall.  The cold water and air didn't cool their hot passion!

     These lovely birds were exciting to experience in their natural habitat, even though I saw them by a live camera and our home computer screen.  It's enjoyable and satisfying to witness the migrations of birds each spring, wherever those migrations occur.        


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