Happiness is a good day hunting, fishing, camping | GreeleyTribune.com

Happiness is a good day hunting, fishing, camping

Guest Commentary

IT IS TIME FOR all birders to go “duck hunting.” Take your binoculars, scope and camera and get your “best shot.”

Lakes and streams are starting to freeze over, sending much of the water fowl South to warmer climates. This usually happens in December, lowering the numbers of ducks, geese, etc., just in time for the Christmas Bird Count during the last half of December. From the time of the freeze-over until spring, the fowl that does stay uses the streams and lakes that are fed by springs and hot water releases.

The huge Windsor Lake recreation area on Weld County Road 74 and west of Severance has a lot of water fowl. It is a private access lake. While driving by there this week, I saw an immature bald eagle. This is the beginning of the eagle’s winter stay in our area. Bald and some golden eagles are drawn to lakes and streams where water fowl are winter feeding. For them, birds that are wounded as a result of hunting in the area are a good source of food.

There have been swans on Duck Lake south of Loveland. Greater white fronted and Ross’ geese have been seen in Fort Collins at Long Lake. Something exciting is being seen all the time.

Fossil Creek Reservoir, on Colo. 392 west of Interstate 25 is where water fowl are present, including a large gathering of bald eagles each winter. There are trails for hiking and biking and viewing areas for wildlife.

We usually have a large population of mallards for the winter, joined by common, hooded and red-breasted mergansers. The common is a large duck with a slim neck and a thin, hooked red bill. The male has a green head and is white over most of the body, a black bar on the wing and black tail feathers. The female has a chestnut-colored head and often holds her crest high. The rest of her body is white to grey and has the red bill. They make a fine show as they move through the water, diving occasionally for food. A crest shows in both sexes of the red-breasted mergansers. The male’s white neck ring and streaked breast distinguishes it from the male common merganser. On the side shoulder is a striking pattern of seven white spots on a black oval.

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My favorite water fowl is the hooded merganser. Both sexes have a puffy head crest. The female’s is rusty, and the male’s has a striking black with a white fan-shaped crest that shows when the crest is raised. The female is plain compared to the male’s white breast with a black stripe to the side and patterned wings and tail.

The small, black and white bufflehead with its puffy head and small bill always stand out on a lake.

Another black-and-white bird adding color to the scene is the male ring-necked ducks. It has a white ring around the bill and not a ring on the neck that I can see, causing many birders to call it the ringed-billed. The black-and-white greater and lesser scaup males take careful identification. The shape and color of the head and bill are a couple of its indicators.

There are many other beautiful birds to observe on the water in the winter. Dress warmly and enjoy it all.

Norma J. Erickson has watched birds for more than a quarter-century and lives in Greeley.