12 Saturday Feb 2022
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
bufflehead, Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, hooded merganser, Northern Shoveler, postaday
Winter would be very dull at the refuge if there were no duck. When most other birds and egrets have migrated, the ducks arrive and entertain us. Following are some images of them that I took yesterday. Duck hunting season will end in three days but I did not see or heard any hunter.
22 Saturday Jan 2022
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
american robin, canada geese, Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, northern harrier, northern pintail, Northern Shoveler, postaday, snow geese
It was a beautiful and cold three days ago at the refuge. After hiding for most of the week, the sun was out. The wind was blowing fairly strongly and lifted the clouds toward the heavens.
As I drove on Wildlife Drive, a Northern Harrier pair was hunting for food, such as voles and mice, among the low vegetation along the marshes. They cut in front of my car, disappeared in the grasses at times. I tried to follow them and only managed to get an occasional shot.
Meanwhile, ducks and geese took off in dramatic formations against the blue sky.
18 Saturday Dec 2021
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, great blue heron, great egret, green-winged teal, Northern Shoveler, postaday, ruddy duck
I shot the following photos over the past several weeks. The birds and ducks shown are some of the usual visitors to the refuge during fall and winter.
08 Monday Mar 2021
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
The colorful Northern Shovelers are one of the more common ducks throughout the world. During the winter at the refuge, there are at least several hundreds of them foraging for food in the marshes with their typically long bills (2.5 inches or 6.35 cm).
In the US, during duck hunting season, an average of 700,000 Northern Shovelers are brought down each year! Yet, they are not on the endangered species list. Here are some recent photos of them at the refuge.
Northern Shovelers.
Northern Shovelers.
Northern Shovelers.
Male Northern Shoveler.
Male Northern Shoveler in flight.
23 Monday Nov 2020
Posted in Photography
Overheard a pair of Northern Shovelers foraging for food:
Female Northern Shoveler in foreground: “Uh-oh dear, we forgot to wear our Covid masks!”
04 Wednesday Nov 2020
Posted in Photography
Northern Shovelers.
Northern Shovelers.
Northern Shoveler.
24 Saturday Oct 2020
Posted in Photography
Tags
great egret, herring gull, long-tailed duck, monarch butterfly, Northern Shoveler, photography, postaday
I took the photos below at different times of this year, from January 1st on.
Herring Gull.
Long-tailed Duck.
Great Egret.
Northern Shovelers.
Monarch Butterfly.
25 Wednesday Mar 2020
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
barnegat light, clivia, Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, harlequin duck, magnolia, mute swan, Northern Shoveler, photography, postaday, snow goose
I have not been posting here since last July, but have continued to photograph, although not as often as I used to. Hopefully, the following photos may help reduce stress for all of us during this coronavirus pandemic.
Harlequin Ducks at Barnegat Light , January 2020.
Mute Swan at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, January 2020.
Snow Geese at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, February 2020.
Northern Shovelers at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, March 2020.
Star Magnolia in our backyard, March 2020.
Clivia at home, March 2020.
20 Thursday Dec 2018
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
At this time of the year, I often see Northern Shovelers at the refuge. From afar they look like Mallard ducks, but with longer, oversized bills. They dabble back and forth with those bills to catch crustaceans and seeds from the marsh.
Northern Shovelers, female and male.
Female Northern Shoveler. Note comb-like filters at the edge of her bill.
Female Northern Shoveler preening.
Male Northern Shoveler.
Male Northern Shovelers.
Flocks of Northern Shovelers are known to swim in circle to corral food and make it easier for them to catch. However, I saw this band early in the morning and many were still sleeping.
Female Northern Shoveler sleeping: “Call me back in an hour.”
11 Saturday Apr 2015
Posted in EBF Refuge, Weekly Photo Challenge
Last week, I thought I saw this pair of Northern Shovelers afloat on a pond at the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
Northern Shovelers afloat?
However, they were not floating. It was low tide and they were actually standing in the water.
The following Northern Shoveler was really floating.
Northern Shoveler afloat.
This type of duck got its name from its long bill which is about 2.5 inches long. The male duck in these images, the one with bright colors, was in full breeding plumage.
12 Wednesday Nov 2014
Posted in Photography
The Northern Shoveler is a common wetland duck distinguished by its long bill which is wider and its tip than at its base. It uses it to forage for food, which can be plants or small crustaceans.
I found the following trio swimming around at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge last weekend.
Northern Shovelers
Here’s another look. As usual, the male has colorful plumage while the females are more subdued.
Northern Shovelers
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