more Niagara Falls

 

We returned to Niagara Falls this past weekend for the opening of Gerry's show "Made of Thunder, Made of Glass II" at the Castellani Museum at Niagara University. Here's the links:

Castellani Museum and Facebook page 

lesser and great black-backed and ring-billed gulls

Of course, I immediately went over to the falls on arrival! The weather was great, hardly any snow and no wind. Lots of gulls and large rafts of ducks awaited me!

common goldeneye

Male common goldeneyes were doing their "dance" trying to impress the ladies.

common goldeneye

buffleheads

redheads and gadwalls

  I've never seen such large numbers of redheads, we're lucky to have 4 or 5 at one time in Vermont.

redheads, gadwalls and a bufflehead

redhead pair

gadwall

tundra swans

ring-billed gulls and a lesser black-backed

It was nice to see gulls in breeding plumage and they were pretty noisy!

American herring gull

lesser black-backed gull

lesser black-backed gull

Cape Ann - from Gloucester to Rockport

Jodrey Pier, Gloucester

A favorite birding destination in the winter is Cape Ann, from Gloucester to Rockport, Massachusetts. I found this link to a map of birding spots along the way, most of which we hit. Thanks to Bryan Pfeiffer for posting this!

Cape Ann hotspots

common eiders

We started at Gloucester Harbor, it was a brilliantly sunny day.

American herring gull

The most numerous birds were common eiders and herring and great black-backed gulls.

common loon

red-breasted merganser

surf scoter

great black-backed gull

purple sandpipers

The birds are plentiful but if the wind is blowing - it's brutal! If you go, dress warmly, bring lots of layers, even if the temperatures are above freezing as they were this day. 

purple sandpipers

harlequin ducks and a common eider

The harlequin ducks are fun to watch, they love to ride the waves and stay really close to the rocky shore.

harlequin ducks, a common eider and red-breasted merganser

redheads and mallards

We spent all day driving around the shoreline, finding lots of great birds. The worst part was getting there, we hit rush hour traffic coming and going! Still, it was a fabulous day of birding!

Turners Falls Ducks

mallard directing the band!

 The almost tame mallards at Unity Park were the only birds close enough for some great shots. At Barton's Cove, where a greater variety of ducks had congregated, viewing was less than desirable.

2 male canvasbacks and ring-necked ducks

Interestingly, one source says the canvasback's name comes from the fact that the drake's sides, back, and belly are white with a fine pattern resembling the weave of canvas.

redhead

Even at a distance, the redhead and canvasback are easily distinguishable. The canvasback has a very white back, while the redhead is grey. Their profiles are different also, the redhead has a very "duck-like" bill when compared to the canvasback's sloping forehead that gives him a wedge-shaped look.