"Fri-D:" Duck Wings Disappear

 The little sliver of white across the side of this male American Wigeon, at Cape May Point State Park last week, is all you can see of the big white patch covering the bird's upperwing coverts. Notice how the scapulars drape over the wing from above, and the wing folds into the flank feathers below it. Beware field guides that show wing markings on sitting ducks, because often the entire wing is hidden by the body plumage. This is something that anyone who has tried to identify female wigeon, female Gadwall, or White-winged Scoters are well aware of. It's a wonderful adaptation to keep a swimming bird warm.

Below, the bold upperwing pattern of a male American Wigeon taking off from Cox Hall Creek WMA, last winter. Click to enlarge the photos.

Thoughtful Thursday: Stochasticity

[American Black Ducks in a freezing downpour.]

"At times, the public has gotten the impression from the media that nature is free of risk or danger, when it may actually contain furtive or cantankerous animals, thick dust, freezing downpours, ravenous insects, disorienting topography, and overall stochasticity."
-Kristina Boyd, The Ethics of Wildlife Photography

[Definition of stochasticiy, by the way, is this: s--t happens.  This quote came across the Wildlife Society News at an interesting time for me, since my Christmas gift this week was -gasp- cable TV. I've lived without TV for many, many years, and yet am aware from many hotel room nights of just how ridiculous the TV portrayal of nature can be. I lucked into an episode of Bigfoot Hunters on Animal Planet at a hotel in Illinois a few weeks ago, and laughed my a-- off for 45 minutes. Oh the wonders of modern entertainment. But watch out for that overall stochasticity.]

Wordless Wednesday

 [American Oystercatcher at dinner on Nummy Island, click to enlarge all photos.]

Birds That Are Not Townsend's Warblers

Two mornings looking for - make that chasing - the Cape May, NJ Townsend's Warbler remind me why I don't chase birds, but there are consolations. The consolations I didn't get pictures of were many, most unusual of which was the Blackpoll Warbler along Harvard in Cape May Point. Blackpolls are unheard of in NJ in December, since they belong in the Amazon basin by now. Nor did the Orange-crowned Warblers cooperate, and the White-fronted Goose was too far away. But the King Eider was shootable, and so were a few common species that make fine Christmas eve presents.

 [Immature male King Eider off St. Mary's this morning. Click to enlarge all photos.]

 [Cape May point is riddled with Red-breasted Nuthatches.]

 [A skulky Hermit Thrush in Cape May Point State Park.]

[The Hermit Thrush's relative, so common but I really love them: American Robin.]

[I couldn't extract a Rough-legged Hawk from the vultures over Cape May, and it looks like the season will go roughleg-less there. Turkey Vultures with one Black Vulture, upper left.]

[The Christmas bird, Northern Cardinal. Merry Christmas all!]

"Fri-D:" Taking Juncoes to the Next Level

David Sibley just wrote a blog about how to tell the sexes of juncoes - by their shape and posture! Check it out!

And while you're at it, consider this: what is David Sibley doing studying juncoes? Because he loves birds, for one thing, but also, what's more fun (and better for your birding skills) than to know the common birds intimately?