Big Birds at the Golf Pond

White Pelican with Lesser Scaup ducks

White Pelicans, Lesser Scaup ducks, Double-crested Cormorants, Seagulls, a Great Blue Heron, Great Egrets, and a lone Wood Stork were all spotted yesterday afternoon at the beautiful Torri Pines golf course pond along Buena Vista Blvd. in The Villages, FL.  This spot is in a northern neighborhood here in The Villages.

The Wood Stork, the Double-crested Cormorants, Seagulls, Lesser Scaup ducks, and the White Pelicans are migratory birds from places up north and in the mid-west who have come south to enjoy our warmer weather during the harsh cold months.  By the way, last evening I spotted about 200 White Pelicans at the Freedom Pointe lake (both sides).  No pictures as I did not have my camera then.

I think a few of these pelicans pictured here were among those sleeping at Freedom Pointe as it was almost dark when I saw that huge flock last night.  We sure enjoy seeing all of these lovely birds!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!  P.S.  This pond has developed a sink hole in it today (2/15/18) and is now rapidly draining.  Don’t know when the needed repairs can be made by our community’s officials.  I will let you know when I hear more.  Wildlifewatcher.

Great Egret with Wood Stork

Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants and Seagulls

Great Blue Heron

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Mixed Waterfowl

 

Hooded Merganser ducks

Hooded Mergansers, and Double-crested Cormorants were spotted at the pond in the Silverlake Community Center’s small park area here in The Villages, FL this past week.  I also spotted a small flock of Lesser Scaup ducks at the nearby Lake Paradise right at Paradise Park in The Villages.

I just am wowed by the huge variety of water birds we have here in The Villages during the winter months!  This bunch of scaups have become used to people and behave like typical park ducks begging for, and receiving hand-outs (please do not feed bread to ducks as it is not the healthiest for them).  Someone was flinging bread cubes to the seagulls and the ducks rushed over to get in on that action.

Most wild ducks are very wary of people so this behavior of coming near the shore when people are around is unusual in migratory birds. Please click on the thumbnail image to see the slightly larger version of the picture.  Enjoy!

Drake (male) Lesser Scaup

Double-crested Cormorant

A pair of Lesser Scaup ducks

Duck, Duck, Coot!

Hen Lesser Scaup Duck

What?  You thought I was going to say “Goose!”?  I spotted the pretty Lesser Scaup ducks along with the Common Coot at a local small park lake.  These cute ducks are pretty used to being around visitors so I was able to get pretty close to a lot of them.

I took the pictures yesterday, Jan. 31, 2016,  late in the afternoon.  It was a cool, cloudy day here, but the good news is that it is warming up a bit.  I am glad.  Not that Florida’s weather is anything to really complain about!  Please click on the thumbnail images to see the larger version of that photo.  Enjoy!

Drake Lesser Scaup Duck

Drake Lesser Scaup and Common Coot

A Pair of Lesser Scaup Ducks

Lesser Scaup Ducks

 

Lesser Scaup Ducks have been here in a small flock for the last few weeks.  They are migratory Winter visitors to our lakes and ponds.  These cute medium-sized diving ducks are beautiful with the drakes being basic tuxedo black, and white and a touch of barred grey.  The hens are a lovely dark and light brown.  Both have broad blue bills.

The Lesser Scaups like the conditions in fresh water better than that of salt water, which is a major difference between them and the Greater Scaups.  I took these pictures on December 17, 1015 and again on December 18, 2015.   This post and the one I will write for Wednesday, will be about ducks.  No post on Christmas but I will catch up on Saturday.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

 

Just Duckie!

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Hen Mallard Duck

Hooded Merganser Ducks

Here are some of the ducks that have been here in my area in the last week or so.  I have spotted a flock of Hooded Mergansers, the ever-present Mallard Ducks, a lot of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, a few Lesser Scaup Ducks, and at least two Bufflehead Ducks!  Quite the bunch.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger version of the photo.  Enjoy!

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Hen Mallard Duck

 

 

 

Hen Bufflehead Duck

Lesser Scaup Ducks

Mallard Ducks

Lesser Scaup Ducks on the Pond

Yesterday afternoon I saw a couple of drake Lesser Scaup ducks here on the little farm pond.  These are the first Lesser Scaups I have seen on the pond.  These are migrant visitors but are not uncommon in Tennessee in the Winter months.  Lesser Scaup drakes have a black head that has a greenish iridescence, black neck, chest and tail, white sides and a light grey back.  The hens are a medium brown color with a slightly darker brown head.

Lesser Scaups are diving ducks that mostly eat aquatic snails, small crayfish, and aquatic insects.  They are common on ponds, slower rivers, and lakes.  The drakes are easily confused with the much less commonly seen Greater Scaup (greenish tinge to the black head).  The drakes are also faintly similar to the drake Ring-Necked duck (white band near the end of the bill and the white on the shoulders and back of the neck).  I am very happy to have seen these handsome ducks and took their picture on Feb. 20, 2012 in my yard.  By the way, although we had a bit of snow two days ago, the snow had melted and yesterday was a sunny warmer day!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

A Happy Bunch of Ducks, Part 2 of 2

Lesser Scaup Ducks, Red Head Ducks, Mallard Ducks, Northern Pintail Ducks, and the gorgeous Bufflehead Ducks were all in abundance on the 101 acre private community lake here on December 30, 2010, and December 31, 2010.  I also took pictures of the Red Head Ducks on Jan. 1, 2011.  The Lesser Scaup Ducks were in a large flock with many Mallard Ducks.  There were also a few Canada Geese, Western Grebes, Pied-Billed Grebes and lots of American Coots out on the lake, too.  The Scaups, Red Heads and Buffleheads are diving ducks and all seemed a bit smaller than the Mallards.  The Ducks looked like they were in prime condition with brilliant feather colors.  I so enjoyed seeing the huge numbers here!  The Bufflehead Duck males are mostly white with black accents.  The Bufflehead females, or hens,  are dark brown with white accents, and look like almost an opposite of the male or drake.  The Northern Pintail Duck has that upright stiff tail that is fairly long.  The Mallard male has a green head, grey and buff body with charcoal accents.  The female Mallard is mostly a medium tan with streaks of dark brown and white.  The Lesser Scaup Ducks, Pintail Ducks, Red Heads and Buffleheads are migrant visitors.  So are the Coots.  We do have the Mallards here year around as we also have Wood Ducks off and on for most of the year.  All are lovely!  By the way, no hunting is allowed on or around the lake here.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!