FROZEN WATERFOWL HABITATS

During our recent stint with the Polar Vortex, I was driving along Airport Road.  I crossed over the Boardman River and noticed that it was frozen over on both sides of the road.

There was too much traffic to get a picture from Airport Road, so I pulled into Logan Valley, the office park across from Logan’s Landing.  I found a cut-out where I could photograph the river.  It was so frozen over that it blended in with the snowy river banks.

I wondered where all the waterfowl had gone.  I’ve seen them in this area and also along the South End of Boardman Lake, iced over too.  I headed downtown and found a section of the river along Eighth Street which had some open water trails.  I was glad to see so many ducks there; some fishing the waters, others sleeping or preening on the ice shelf.

A variety of duck types were in the area, including this female Mallard, proudly modeling her orange feet!  They go well with her brown coat, don't you think?

A handsome male Mallard was swimming nearby, keeping his eye on me as I moved closer to take his picture.

It was the Common Goldeneye that caught my eye the most.  This striking male stood out with its black and white patterning and its bright yellow eye.

But it’s the white circular puffy patch on its cheek that is the main identifier of the Common Goldeneye.  Another variety, the Barrow’s Goldeneye, has the white facial patch too, but it’s in the shape of a comma.  The Barrow's Goldeneye is mostly found in the Northwest.  Recently, one was spotted by an Audubon member in a Manistee marina.  It’s amazing how far they can travel during migration.

I get a kick out of the goofy look this duck has when photographed head-on as it prepares to dive for its next meal, typically crustaceans and insects.  I know the Boardman has re-opened up after the warm spell last weekend.  Who knows what will happen during the current Winter Storm Warning.