Winter on Radnor Lake

Ring Necked Ducks migrating south make a stop at Radnor Lake to hang out for a few days. Radnor sees a plethora of migrating birds throughout the seasons. This is a beautiful lake situated just south of downtown Nashville with a gorgeous state park surrounding it.

The trail around the lake is approximately three miles in circumference. I walked the entire path on an uncharacteristically balmy winter's day. I discovered Ring Necked Ducks on both the south and north side of Radnor.

I wonder where these Ducks will be off to next on their journey south.

Not much sun on this winter's day, but a treat to see these Ring Necked Ducks. Have a wonderful week all. ENJOY!

Hooded Mergansers

Every now and then one gets lucky. Late one afternoon I stopped along Old Hickory Lake. There are several places along the main road where pools of backwater are on the opposite side of the road from the lake. Oftentimes, you will find birds flocked there. This was one of those days. And yes, I added another bird to my Life List, the Hooded Merganser. These Hooded Mergansers, a flock of about ten, had flown into this backwater area and were feeding on whatever they could find.

You can tell when you look at the images they are heavily cropped, but I still wanted to share. The water levels in this pool of water are very very low and oftentimes birds are standing on land in the middle of it. The Hooded Merganser typically lives in this area of the South, as well as throughout the majority of the United States, but breed mostly in the west. As always the brown colored duck is the female while the stark black and white is the male. There are several species of Mergansers and the Hooded is the smallest of the three.

The Hooded Merganser actually nest in tree cavities in wooded wetlands where they lay on average 9-11 eggs. These ducks are most prevalent in the Great Lakes Region. It is difficult to get accurate numbers on these ducks because they are so secretive. They prefer to dive in fresh water and generally feed on fish, crayfish and crustaceans, as well as insects.

The snow has melted here in middle Tennessee and this weekend the temperatures are going to be in the mid sixties. Earlier this week it was in the teens one night and in the fifties the next day. The dramatic swing in temperatures is insane. Not to mention it is hard to know what to wear from one day to the next. I wonder is this the norm for our Winters going forward. ENJOY!

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Birding, Radnor Lake

All year I tried to get out to Radnor Lake in southwest Nashville to hike the Lake Trail, but timing was never on my side. Most of our Summer was very very oppressively hot. I missed Spring at Radnor and I had planned on getting out to the lake for Fall, but it never happened mainly because of the rainy Fall we encountered here in Tennessee. Today I made the drive over to the lake and as luck would have it the weather was perfect with temps in the 70's and a brisk wind that kept me cooled off as I made the three mile hike around the parameter of the lake.

As I walked the Lake Trail I first encountered this Ring Necked Duck, a Life List bird for me, perched quietly on a log near the bank. I snapped a few images and moved on.

A short distance away I happened upon what looked like the rest of the flock of Ring Neck Ducks swimming close to the bank also. There were males and females alike. The females are brown and tan while the males are black and white. Ring Neck Ducks have a smaller compact body with two toned wings and a ring around their bills too. Their breeding grounds are in the very far northern eastern United States and most of Canada. They travel as far south as Tennessee in Winter. They like small ponds and smaller lakes which is no doubt the reason I found them on Radnor.

Radnor Lake is a state park and has 1200 acres including the lake. With its close proximity to downtown Nashville and situated right smack dab in the middle of suburbia, Radnor is very popular with families and couples. Getting a parking space is not an easy feat, as I've tried in the past and couldn't get in. I think the holidays had a few folks out shopping which left the park with not as many visitors. I can't wait to get out to Radnor in Spring and Summer to see all of the greenery. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. ENJOY!

Linking to Saturday's Critters and Wild Bird Wednesday

Wood Ducks, Murfree Spring Wetlands

Murfree Spring Wetlands is a remarkable place to visit and to think that it is right in the middle of a large town is even more remarkable. I decided to visit here as it called for a shorter drive than the refuge I had planned on visiting.

The iridescent green and purple of the male Wood Duck are gorgeous, not to mention its red eyes, beautiful flare down its neck and multi colored bill. Both the male and the female share crested heads. This species is akin to the Asian Mandarin Duck.

The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a perching Duck known throughout North America. These Ducks prefer wooded habitats such as wooded swamps which is exactly what Murfree Spring Wetlands is known for. You can find the Wood Duck female's nest in wood boxes and tree cavities.

I tried to see if I could locate where this pair of Wood Ducks may have nested, but the swamp and its marshes were so dense it was difficult.

Another remarkable thing about these Ducks is that in the eastern and western United States 75% of Wood Ducks are permanent residents. Generally, the eastern Wood Ducks use the Atlantic Flyway while the western use the Pacific if they are not permanent, but are migratory.

I wanted to mark this Memorial Day by mentioning that I think often about those who gave their lives for our country,

as my Father did having suffered from PTSD, which ended his life at the young age of 52.

My heart goes out to those of you who are and those of you who have served for our country, 

living or dead, so America can be free. As I often see and hear 'Freedom is not Free'. God Bless America!

Linking to Saturday Critters

Muscovy Duck

As I walked along the shoreline at Old Hickory Lake a few weeks ago, this strange looking Duck made it's way to the water. Not sure what species I looked it up and discovered it's a domesticated Muscovy Duck. Muscovy means Moscow, although oddly the Duck is not from Russia but from North America.

Spring is beginning to take hold her and while out today I noticed quite a few trees just beginning to burst forth with blooms. Soon everything will be in full bloom for Spring. Have a great week everyone. I'll be back soon. ENJOY!

Long Tailed Duck

There's a possibility that Spring is taking hold here in Tennessee. It is beautiful and nearly 70 degrees today and I welcome the sunshine after a week of rain. One of the things I do several times weekly is check the ABA website for Tennessee to see if there are any peculiar waterfowl sightings nearby. There was a note regarding a Long Tailed Duck seen yesterday at Shute Branch Recreation Area. After a drive over to a frequent birding hot spot, Snow Bunting Peninsula, off Old Hickory Lake, I drove farther east to Shute Branch hoping to catch a glimpse of this Life Bird for me.

Sure enough there it was albeit a female or perhaps an immature female or male. Sometimes no amount of research online will allow you to put a finger on exactly what gender a bird is. I do know the breeding male Long Tailed Ducks have the beautiful markings and long long tail feathers and that is certainly not what I photographed today. But if this is a male, in time he will be a beauty.

Oddly, this duck was swimming and diving for food right off the shore next to the smaller boat launch at Shute Branch. And even when I got closer to the shore, the duck didn't seem to mind at all and continued with the task at hand. I would love to see a male breeding Long Tailed Duck as they look so beautiful when I see photos online.

These ducks winter along eastern and western North America and the Great Lakes and southern Europe and Russia. Clearly, this duck was a bit inland. Long Tailed Ducks breed in Alaska, northern Canada, northern Europe and northern Russia. The male is quite vocal which leads me to believe this is a female as it never uttered a sound the entire time I photographed it. Have a great week. I took tomorrow off and plan to visit Franklin just south of Nashville. ENJOY!

Linking to Sunlit Sundays and Birdin D'Pot

Percy Priest Lake

A mere hop, skip and a jump from my apartment in Nashville sits Percy Priest Dam. The dam is situated between mile six and seven of the Stones River. The reservoir and lake is so large it is situated within three counties in eastern Nashville. There are parks and wildlife management areas all up and down the reservoir and lake in all three counties. It's a pretty impressive area.

Today I drove over to the opposite side of the dam to Percy Priest Lake. Before you cross in front of the dam, you can park and look out over the lake to the south. This small island is Hermitage Island and couldn't be any bigger than a quarter acre all told. A few days prior I had taken a short road to the back side of the dam to watch the birds feeding. I want to go back there when its sunny and warmer.

Off to the left of Hermitage Island, the shoreline was busy with Gulls. I noticed a Northern Shoveler fishing for a meal in the water off shore.



Once you drive the road crossing in front of the dam there's a parking lot to the left. I pulled in and stopped to take a few images of the Sea Gulls there. I knew this was the last I would probably see of the sun today as a Winter storm is making its way into Nashville. We are expecting several inches of snow and possibly freezing rain.

I really can't complain about this Winter in Kentucky or Tennessee because we have had virtually no snow, but for two quickie storms that dropped a few inches, and just like that the snow was melted and gone. I am, however, ready for Spring to show itself. I promise to post more images of a state park I visited today later in the week. ENJOY!

Linking to Sunlit Sundays and The Scoop

Nesting Trumpeter Swans

In the summer of 2006, conservationists from Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, located in southwest Michigan, in partnership with the staff and volunteers of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, released eight pairs of Trumpeter Swans at an undisclosed location. As I drove the route that traverses the Dunes on my trek north in July, I caught sight of several Swans out of the corner of my eye. Making a quick turnaround, I drove back to the marsh where I spotted the Swans.

Strangely, this marsh sits directly to the east of the Dune Climb at Sleeping Bear Dunes. The marsh was peppered with beautiful yellow lotus flowers. It was late in the day, but I still managed to capture a few images of the nesting pair, albeit not the best lighting.

I read online that in the thirties there were 33 Trumpeter Swans in the entire continental United States and none in existence in Michigan. Thanks to conservation and reintroduction efforts, the Swans are plentiful again, not only in Michigan, but also throughout the United States. And it appears the conservationists at Sleeping Bear Dunes were successful in their hope that the Trumpeter Swans would imprint on the Dunes marshland making it their nesting site each Summer before migrating south for Winter.

Being quite a distance from the Swans, these images were the best I could do. I stood and watched the nesting pair for quite some time hoping one might lift off and give me an image of their beautiful wing span, but no luck. The entire time I watched them the Swan on the left never once lifted its head. I'm thinking an afternoon nap.

I took various images of the marsh itself before I headed back to the car to continue on to Empire Bluffs that day. I love marshes. And why I love marshes is easy for me to explain. I love the sharp edged cattails sticking up out of the water and blowing in the breezes. I love the brightly color lotus flowers that bloom amongst the lily pads. I especially love all of the waterfowl you can find on any given visit.

Speaking of waterfowl, this female Wood Duck was plying the waters in the marsh just over from where the Swans' nest was situated. And while you can't see it in my photos, there was one Great Blue Heron fishing on the opposite end of the marsh not far from the Swans. When I planned my trek to Michigan, I had no idea I would encounter such a beautiful lakeshore with gorgeous blue water, gulls and wood ducks and swans, stunning red lighthouses, blueberry and cherry farms galore, tallships sailing in the bay, and dunes as tall and as far as one's eye could see. But I did and it all so refreshing. I have a few more photo ops to share coming up. I hope you have enjoyed the trip so far. I would love to hear your thoughts. ENJOY!

Juvenile Mallards, Assateague Island

As an outdoor photographer, so often I take photos that my audience never see. These images never get posted to my blog. Perhaps it's safe to say these images never see the light of day. Yet, as I visit my archives from time to time, certain images tug at me for one reason or another. And I find myself revisiting those same images time and time again. All photographers possess an archive that contains these types of images. We all know which images I am referring to. This image is one of those.

What tugged at me each time I scanned my archives and passed this image and stopped . . . is the strikingly intricate detail and the soft variation of color in the feathers of these Juvenile Mallards that somehow I managed to capture when I briefly stepped out of my car that Sunday afternoon on Assateague Island National Seashore. There were five ducklings in all standing together having just gone for a quick dip in a teeny tiny inlet that led out to the bay on the west side of the island. However, these two Juveniles were huddled closer together and looking around as if they were contemplating, "what next". Every time I saw this image, I would always be 'this' close to choosing it to feature in a post. But then I didn't, until today. And today I stopped and asked myself the same question I asked myself every time I caught sight of this image . . . where else can you find such truly unparalleled detail as you find in the feathers of these Juveniles and what subtle variation of color. I ask you where? Only Mother Nature can create such an intricate, yet beautiful creature. ENJOY!