Duck!! #126 - #130

Yet another great day of birding around the Shreve and Funk areas. Greg Miller and I left about 7:45 in the hopes to spot some Sandhill Cranes. It turns out more was on the menu!! Our first stop was Shreve lake. We set up the scope and scanned the area: Hooded Merganser, Great-blue Heron, Pied-billed Grebe and a lifer for me - Ruddy Duck.

Ruddy Duck, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

We got turned around a bit on the way to Funk Bottoms, but it turned out to be a God direction. Just outside of Blachleyville at the Church of Christ church, stood a group of 26+ Sandhill Crane. They were close enough for me to fire off some photos through my binoculars, one of which turned out OK. Awesome birds. How cool to think that we get birds this size in Ohio every year.

Sandhill Crane, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Funk observation platform served up a real treat too. As we scanned the fields beyond, another flock of 86+ Sandhill Crane flew in and circled a few times, trumpeting before landing. What a majestic sight! But that's not all, hunting in the same fields, lazily gilding in flight, was a female Northern Harrier.

Northern Harrier, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Last stop: Killbuck Marsh area. Most of the water was frozen over, but a few thawed areas served as congregation spots for over 150 American Coots as well as several species of duck, including two new species for me: Ring-necked Duck and Bufflehead.



Ring-necked Duck, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology



Bufflehead, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology



View Birding 11/29/10 in a larger map

Photo Credits:

Ruddy Duck - Dick Daniels
Northern Harrier - Kevin Cole
Ring-necked Duck - Lee Karney (Fish & Wildlife Service Employee)
Bufflehead - MDF