Greater Yellowlegs at Second Pond

These photos date back to the evening of September 1, 2011.  It is funny how the many pictures that I have can prompt a clear recollection.  I had gone for a walk at Second Pond after supper in search of some special shorebirds that had been showing up in this area.

I was alone soaking up the surroundings and gazing at this Greater Yellowlegs standing on this rock.  It was the only bird in the area at the moment. It was then that my phone rang and the voice on the other end said, "Turn around." I did and there was the welcome face of another birder who had also grabbed a moment after supper to check out the birds.

 She walked over and we were standing there talking when the Greater Yellowlegs lifted off and flew right past us. Through pure reflex I lifted my camera and fired off the two shots that I showcase today.

The Greater Yellowlegs is a great bird to photograph.  Its features are so distinct, its behaviour is very predictable, its colors typically contrast very well with its surroundings and it will often stay close to shore. Some of my favorite pictures are of this species.

Click on the images to get a better look.

Ruddy Duck - Female

 What is special about this bird?  Well, for me it is my first opportunity to see a female Ruddy Duck, and for St. John's it marked a rare chance to see two Ruddy Ducks together.  The only time that this has occurred in recent memory was in 2006 where two were located at Mundy Pond.

These two Ruddy Ducks showed up at Forest Pond in Goulds in late October and have stayed around for quite a while.

 It is interesting in that Forest Pond is known to attract different birds.  Most of them land and stay around an area where rocks protrude out of the water but these two little marsh-dwelling birds are staying at a different section of the pond and are staying fairly close to shore.

 I have had an opportunity to see them on three different occasions but only one day provided lighting conditions where I could work with the pictures.

The Ruddy Duck is known to winter in waters around Massachusetts but from time to time they seem to get blown off course and end up here.

I recall a Ruddy Duck being located in Fourth Pond in Goulds in September 2010 hanging out with all things....a Surf Scoter! I went over but was unable to see that one.

So, I was quite pleased when a great little male Ruddy Duck flew into Quidi Vidi Lake last April and stayed around for quite a while.  The sun was warming things up a little at that time and it was a good situation to sit and view that duck as it fed, slept and generally entertained the many on-lookers. Pictures of the male Ruddy Duck appear at the end of this post.

 The Ruddy Duck is one of those birds where identification is quite easy. They are very small, have a stiff tail that is often visible when it is moving about the pond and it has a distinct bill. Even though the female plumage is very different from the male, it is still clearly a Ruddy Duck.

Now, all that remains is for me to see a pair of these birds together.



We have been experiencing consistently high winds for the last two weeks.  With that kind of fast "air" we could see just about anything fall into our wintry island.



Winter indeed arrived in Newfoundland last night. There was at least 18 inches of snow in my driveway this morning and it is still falling. This really kicked up the Junco activity at my feeder today.  I will have to dart out in the back yard and top up the feeders soon.

Common Grackle - Blackhead

 Trips down Blackhead Road these days don't offer up much in the way of birds.  There are flocks of Juncos, American Goldfinch, Chickadees and occasional Purple Finch flitting around the trees but closer looks don't yield much else.  Look up, waaaay up and you may see flocks of American Robins and White-winged Crossbills flying overhead.

At this time of year, I guess, this is very common so when anything else pops up it is worth chasing down.

While standing on the side of the road in the community of Blackhead looking at a flock of Juncos, a black bird flew by quite low along the street and darted into the woods at about two feet off the ground.

What was it?  The mind starts processing:  It was too small for a crow and its behaviour was not like a crow. It was about the size of a Robin but it was too dark. What was it?

 My friend and I got in the car and drove to the area where it went into the woods and we stopped.  I quickly got out and peered into the woods. There was this beautiful Common Grackle.  It only stayed long enough to eat a berry or two and then it was gone.

Thank goodness for curiosity or we would have missed seeing this beautifully colored bird.  Recently, a flock of about 50 Common Grackles was reported in the heart of St. John's and I have seen a few flying overhead as I travel around the city. It looks like there may be a group planning to spend the Winter here.

Red-necked Grebe

 It was less than two weeks ago that I saw a Red-necked Grebe's silhouette some distance from shore in Harbour Grace.  My experience has been that once I see a bird, I tend to keep seeing the same species over and over. It is funny how that seems to happen.

In a drive-about yesterday, I popped down to the sewer outlet in Torbay.  This is the same area where I saw several White-winged Scoter just a few weeks back.  The area always seems to have a small flock of sea gulls, Black Ducks and Mallards. Yesterday, the usual group was joined by two winter plumage Black Guillemot, one female White-winged Scoter and this Red-necked Grebe.

When I first saw it, I thought it was a loon but it just didn't look right for a loon. I kept looking at it through my binoculars and it began to move closer to shore.  It's neck was too long for a loon and then I saw the yellow bill. This couldn't be a loon.

I stayed in my car next to the guard rail and watched and waited. Experience has taught me that once a sea bird sees a person it will either dive or slowly and steadily move farther from shore or both, dive and come up farther from shore.

This bird didn't seem to be feeding so I figured it would vanish very quickly if I tried to get closer. I took a moment to look in my field guide to make an ID on the bird and when I looked up I couldn't see it any more. I watched and watched and it popped back up to the surface but it was definitely farther away. It would come and go like the tide. This may well have been the best opportunity that I will have to get a really good look at a Red-necked Grebe. I enjoyed it to the fullest.

Click on an image to enlarge it.