Jenny Pond and an Iceland Gull

Gadwall Taking Off

Since we have had a spell of cold weather and the ponds around here are starting to get ice, I decided to visit Jenney Pond in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  The reason for that is that the back side of the pond freezes and where the stream runs into the pond and leaves at the other end.  It causes the waterfowl to congregate closer and makes them easier to photograph.

There was enough action to make for some nice photographs with ducks flying in, flying out, plus flapping after bathing.  In fact, if the weather continues to stay cold.  This usually increases the concentration of waterfowl and species that are available in the area.  In fact, I am planning to take my Meetup group NANPA Photographers of Eastern Massachusetts, for a photo shoot.

Pair of Gadwalls

Gadwall Landing

Mallard Pair Together

Mallard Landing

After photographing at Jenney Pond.  We went down to the harbor, to the boat launching ramp which is behind East Bay Grill and was able to photograph the Iceland Gull that has been returning for many years.  We had to search all the gulls until we found the one that had white feathers at the tip of its wings.

Iceland Gull

Despite starting off in the high teens, with no wind and warming up to the 40s.  It was a beautiful day to be outside.

Using the coupon code mborn you will receive a 15% discount on any or all of the Topaz plug-ins.



Help Support my blog by purchasing from Amazon. Clicking on this link and utilizing the link does not cost you anything.
BUY FROM AMAZON

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Gadwal in the Pannes

On Tuesday morning, the family and I left early to beat the traffic through Boston on the way to visit Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.  Because of the breeding season for terns and piping plovers all the beach accesses in the refuge, were closed to traffic.  Not until we reached Sandy Point State Reservation were we able to walk out onto the beach.  We very slowly drove up the road from the entrance, stopping and photographing different birds, as we visualize them.  We walked the number of the trails enjoying the sights and the weather.  Mostly what we saw were the breeding birds.  Meeting a number of birders, they all remarked on the lack of migrants compared to a few days ago.  Apparently apparently the migrants continued on their northward journey.

Easton Kingbird

Bobolink

Willet.  On the Top of a Tree

At Sandy Point, we saw a few shorebirds, including black-bellied plover, dunlin, and my first of the year piping plover.  There was an adult great black-backed gull feeding on a crab, the interesting part, the crab was still alive.

Piping Plover Feeding

Black-Bellied Plover

Great black-backed Gull With a Crab

We met a birder at Bill's Forward Blind, who told us about some other locations in the area that we did not know about, since we are mainly southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island people.  After leaving Parker River, we end up traveling down Rough Meadows Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary in Raleigh Massachusetts, which we explored for only a short time.  The reason was it was the middle of the day, there was a bright sun and we were hungry.  Looking at the sign of the sanctuary trails, there were a number of different ones to walk, plus if we go down the road further we end up on the backside of Parker River.

Using the coupon code mborn you will receive a 15% discount on any or all of the Topaz plug-ins.



Help Support my blog by purchasing from Amazon. Clicking on this link and utilizing the link does not cost you anything.
BUY FROM AMAZON

Jenney Pond Revisited

Wood Duck

Besides the greatest scaup that I mentioned in my last blog, my last visit to Jenney Pond had the Wood Duck put on a show.  The wood duck has been present for over a month now and has been hanging around with the mallards.  At this visit, the wood duck was very visible swimming around and also walking on the ice.

Wood Duck

Wood Duck

Another surprise was a juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron that was sitting on a branch just above the water, sometimes looking around and at other times talking its head in its wing to rest.  From December through March, there is usually one to two Black-crowned Night-Heron present in Plymouth County.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Also present were Bufflehead, a male, female, and I believe a first-year male.

Bufflehead

The usual gadwall, hooded merganser, American coot, plus the usual mallards, swans and Canada geese.

Gadwall

Drake Hooded Merganser

hen Hooded Merganser

American Coot - look at its long legs

Mallard Preening

Using the coupon code mborn you will receive a 15% discount on any or all of the Topaz plug-ins.



Help Support my blog by purchasing from Amazon. Clicking on this link and utilizing the link does not cost you anything.
BUY FROM AMAZON

Waterfowl at Jenney Pond

Mute Swan I See You

We have continued to have below freezing days.  One advantage that this has as it causes ponds and lakes to freeze over.  However, if there is moving water from a stream or river, it will keep a portion of those ponds and lakes open.  This open water will cause waterfowl and other birds to congregate in these areas and if these areas are near the shoreline.  It allows for closer approach to the birds for better photography.

Sunday, I travel down to Jenney Pond in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where most of the birds congregate on the far shore of the pond, except for the mallards.  Now most of the pond is frozen over, except with a stream comes running through and traveling down to the ocean.  The birds were swimming around, feeding flapping wings and basically ignoring me.

Hooded Merganser Drake Flapping

Gadwall and a Hooded Merganser

Hen and Drake, Gadwall

Hen and Drake Hooded Merganser

American Coot

Ring-Billed Gull Trying to Take off and Slid off the Ice into the Water

So if you have a pond or a lake near you, take a trip and see what you can photograph.

Using the coupon code mborn you will receive a 15% discount on any or all of the Topaz plug-ins.



Help Support my blog by purchasing from Amazon. Clicking on this link and utilizing the link does not cost you anything.
BUY FROM AMAZON

Waterfowl at Jenney Pond Plymouth Massachusetts

American Black Duck

Yesterday after I dropped my grandson off at work , I Traveled down to Plymouth to Jenney Pond because there was a pair of common mergansers reported at that location. Since the weather has been below freezing most of the pond was frozen over which concentrates the waterfall into a smaller area. Because usually they are swimming along the father shore I utilized the to ask convertor on my 500 mm lens so I could get larger images into my pictures. However, at times I had too much lens because some of the action was taken place close to me and so I had to move backwards to try to get the entire duck in the picture.

There was a lot of mating action going on with the mallards. The Drake Mallard would climb on the back of the Hen Mallard, grab her head with his bill and complete the copulation. Afterwards the Drake would swim around with its head extended at the water line. Both of them would then preen and then flap their wings.

Mallards Mating

Drake Mallard Swimming after Mating

Hen Mallard Came on the Ice to Preen

Hen Mallard Flapping after Preening

A pair of Gadwalls were feeding and the Drake Gadwall really showed off its cinnamon-edged scapular's.

Gadwalls Feeding

Notice the Nice Cinnamon Brown on the Drake Gadwall

Both the Drake Ring-Necked Duck and the Drake Bufflehead was showing off their iridescent colors.

Drake Bufflehead

Hen Bufflehead

Drake Bufflehead Showing Its Iridescence

Drake Bufflehead Up-Right and Hooting

Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Duck

Well, the common mergansers were not there, but the action was great.