~Ducky Day along the Niagara River~

We drove along the Niagara River, Canadian side, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario up to Niagara-on-the-Lake, staying close to the shore.  The Canadian side has many pull-offs from which you can see the winter waterfowl.

Mallard pair

Common Mergansers

Canvasbacks

Common Goldeneye

Long-tailed Duck, drake, formerly known as "Old Squaw"

One of the sources of constant gunfire, a boat with small men and their big guns, hunting the defenseless little ducks we travel so far to see. This boat and others were seen in the water between Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, and Fort Niagara, NY.  Tryouts for "Duck Dynasty"?

~Dunkirk Harbor~

The boats are gone and the waterfowl are returning!

American Coot stretching above and scratching below

 

Hooded Mergansers, drake above, hen below

Great Black-backed Gulls and two Hooded Mergansers

~Chickdees and House wrens nesting in close proximity~

 

 

 

 

As viewed from second floor condo balcony. Decorative birdhouses in yard below belong to downstairs neighbor. Chickadee house and Wren mosaic house.

~Mourning Dove - hatches?

Since we came home this afternoon, the dove has been sitting higher than before, and for sure there should be hatches by now.

 

~Mourning Dove Nest on our Balcony~

Mourning doves came to a wicker bookcase on our balcony two weeks ago, built their nest in one day and were incubating the next day! Two little squabs should be hatching now and I am so wishing we had a cam out there!

The nest is on the top shelf next to a beautiful nestbox I received as a gift last year. The Morning Dove parents and their babies are fairly well protected from wind, rain and predators in this sheltered site. Once the babies fledge at 13-15 days after hatching, they will enter a more dangerous world, as there are Red-tails and Cooper's Hawks in the area.

 

 

 

~Union Street Canal Ducks~

 

Male Red-breasted Merganser

 

Red-breasted Mergansers in the Union Street Canal

 

Greater Scaup

 

Long-tail Ducks

American Coot

~Ducky Days~

~Late Autumn at Iroquois NWR~

 

American Coots

 

 

 

Canada Geese along Feeder Road

American Coots 

~Pied-billed Grebes at Tillman Swamps~

 

 

 

 

~Wooly Bear~

The “wooly bear” is actually the freeze-tolerant final instar caterpillar of the common tiger moth Pyrrharctia isabella.

 

 

~Crow attacks nest~

Red-winged Blackbirds scattered among the reeds along the edge of the marsh, when a crow flies in at attacks a nest, flying away with a baby. Only then did the adult Red-wings take wing and attack the fleeing crow who successfully escaped with its prize.