Dux DeLux, part one...

A Hooded Merganser in a casual mood. I like that slicked back, I got a hot date look.

An American Wigeon, somewhere near San Diego, California while we were at the San Diego Bird Fest.

American Wigeon female, also somewhere near San Diego, the memory is...a..a....I forget...

This Gadwall was at Titchwell Marsh in England. It seems I don't have any local dux!

After the BSBO weekend I recently spoke of, I started going through my photos to see what I needed to round out my personal 'field guide'. Quite a few as it turns out. But I do indeed have a nice selection of good duckies to look at!

A Blue-winged Teal, boy, California was a great place to see dux close up!

Maybe I should have titled this "Dux of San Diego"! Guess where this Cinnamon Teal was, oh wait, I already told you...

Green-winged Teal, guess where...

Quite often they are very far off in the distance and difficult to get good shots of. Every once in awhile I get lucky and can sneak up on one. Other times I cheat and get a close up of a captive or rehab duck. Either way, I don't mind. I just like having nice photos to look at.

At last, a local photo! This Canvasback is on the near frozen Lake Erie...and far away. Now maybe you can see why I don't have more local Dux. I hate being out there in January, too cold and windy!

This weekend we are going to an event I mentioned in a previous post called the Shreve Migration Sensation. Good seminars and field trips await! Though the weather will be a little iffy I fear. We can always spend time with the vendors or find a good Amish restaurant in the area.

We saw this American Black Duck with a transmitter at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.

These Black-bellied Whistling Dux were seen in Panama.

In the next installment of Dux DeLux...Mallards and More!

In the mean time, enjoy my Dux DeLux!!

More of BSBO!

This was the first female Red-Winged Blackbird we spotted this year. SPRING!

As you can probably tell, I am very excited about this past weekend. You really need to go to the Black Swamp website to really get an idea of all they accomplish.

How impolite! This American Wigeon is literally picking on the American Coot and stealing his food. Rude.

Kim is so excited about getting more young people involved in birding. She started the Ohio Young Birders Club, which is being copied all over the country. These kids are amazing. I wish I had started birding at a younger age (even forty!) so I could be on par with these excellent young naturalists. Seeing that I don't often act my age, I joined the group, though they claim I'm an 'adult' supporter. Yea, right.

And then there's the banding and research going on at Black Swamp and the Navarre banding station behind the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant. Led by Julie and Mark Shieldcastle and a great group of volunteers, the research they perform is priceless.

That's Brian Zweibel in the back of the kayak. If you want great photos, that's what ya gotta do! He is one of the best photographers around and one of the volunteers at BSBO.

Oh, I should probably mention the cool bird walks, the gift shop run by our buddy, Hugh, the special events and programs put on monthly and the bad puns to be found wherever you go.

This Eastern Phoebe gave our necks a workout trying to track him as he zipped in and out of the scrub along the dike at Metzger Marsh.

I would also like to thank all the folks and the business alliance partners in Port Clinton that help out with the financial aspects of running this crazy place we all love!

Stay tuned for the next blog: Dux Deluxe!

Black Swamp Bird Observatory 16th Annual Banquet

BSBO birders at Metzger Marsh led by Norman Smith, Kenn Kaufman, Phil Chaon and Mark Shieldcastle.

What a great weekend!

Kim Kaufman and all the folks at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory really went all out to have a great time prepared for all of their supporters. Friday night started out at Mango Mama's in Port Clinton with a performance by 6-7-8-OH, the rock band featuring Kim as vocalist and, hold on, 'Killer' Kenn Kaufman on bass. Yep, not only great birders, humanitarians and all around good people, but outstanding rockers, who'd a thunk it!

Lesser Scaup doing what birds do when I'm around. This is why I have so many butt shots.

Ring-necked Ducks, let's see, three males and two females...oh-oh!

Saturday started with a little (cold) morning birding followed by a presentation by Kenn on identifying waterfowl, a perfect subject for this area on the shores of the gorgeous Lake Erie. He had great hints for remembering head shapes and wing patterns among others. Now, if only I can remember all that info when I'm out in the chilly air staring down those ducks!

Gadwall flying off into the cloudy skies. Can you tell I was playing with the photo program?

We later took a walk around town and had a little lunch, then drove out to BSBO's "world headquarters" to say hello and bird at Magee Marsh State Wildlife Preserve. After a brisk hike and bit of duck watching, we were ready for another fine meal. The highlight of the evening was the banquet with Kim and her great sense of humor outlining the previous year's many accomplishments and goals for the future. Awards were given out to a few volunteers including Mark Shieldcastle, bird bander extraordinaire, for all of the research he has done for BSBO.

Here's Mark showing us a Wilson's Warbler caught and banded at the Navarre Banding Station. One of thousands of birds he's banded in his career, which includes everything from warblers to Bald Eagles.

After our dinner, which was very good, other than the fact that they ran out of chocolate cake before I got in line (I'll remember that Kim!), Norman Smith of Massachusetts Audubon, gave an excellent and humorous talk on banding raptors, and Snowy Owls in particular, at Logan International Airport in Boston. You really need to go to his site to see all the work he has done. What an amazing man. He got his children started as his 'assistants' when they were two years old. The photos he has of his little ones growing up, holding raptors and owls and helping him keep an open mind about where and how to band birds are fantastic!

Laurie-loo's beautiful photo of Metzger Marsh. It was, indeed, a very overcast and chilly day. Good for ducks though!

A pair of Trumpeter Swans, one with a tag which I reported to reportband.gov.

They also had a silent auction which raised a considerable sum to benefit the Observatory. They had a great variety of bird related items INCLUDING, a signed, matted AND framed ORIGINAL photograph of a mother and baby Wood Duck by yours truly. Humble, aren't I...

A little Wood Duck just chillin' with mom.

I was happy to help out as they are a very deserving group, a little silly maybe, but deserving! And I look forward to spending more time with them this year.