The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge.
We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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November 2019
Salish Sea, PacificNorthwest
If it seems like I’m always out on my walkies at dusk that’s because I pretty much am these days. Dusk starts at around 2, and even midday is fairly dark when the maximum elevation of the sun is 20° above the horizon. It’s just that time of year.
Many animals are very busy as night approaches though, so even if it’s getting quite dark, there’s activity to see. Geese, gulls, otters, seals, grebes, eagles, and of course, ducks. Many many ducks. They hunt by vision which means making the most of daylight hours, whatever the weather. Birds of North America says sometimes Buffleheads will continue to hunt at night. I can't know since I’m not out there in the dark, but I wouldn’t be surprised if these ducks have found enough to eat by nightfall, given the richness of these eelgrass beds and the time they spend during daylight doing other things besides foraging.
During the day, more time is spent foraging in winter than in summer. Birds may be forced to feed at night in winter because short daylength may not provide enough foraging time to meet the daily energy requirement of this small species. The low proportion of time spent in interdive pauses and sleeping during the day in winter supports this interpretation. This suggests that diving for small invertebrates is an expensive foraging mode for a small duck. birdsna.org/...
Buffleheads dive in shallow water, hunting for crabs and clams and such. Twenty feet deep is about the max for them here, over muddy/sandy/cobbly bottoms. My local bays are favored spots.
On a sunny days, dusk creates ridges of pretty light across the water surface.
Diving ducks like buffies and mergansers tend to gather in flocks to roost overnight near shore. Sometimes the close proximity leads to tussling and posturing, largely drakes showing off or chasing hens. Buffie drakes can raise their head plumage too.
Ducks aren't the only water birds flocking out in the bays. There was an especially big group of Horned grebes one night. It can be tricky sometimes telling what kind of birds are out there if they’re a ways offshore. The long necks held at this angle is our clue.
The buffies are the most numerous water birds though, and the only ducks that flock in large groups. Twenty, even as many as fifty at a time, isn’t unusual.
One night I caught the transition to nightfall. A big flock was getting in their last hunting of the day. You can see why it’s hard to count these ducks! At a certain point they gave it up and started paddling diagonally across the bay to a spot near the beach where they’ll roost for the night, floating in shallow water. The first video is full foraging mode, the second shows them starting the paddle toward shore.
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Dusk on the Salish Sea in winter, a pretty time.
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Grey overcast in the PNW islands today. Temps back up into the low 40s. Calm wind.
What’s up in nature in your area today?
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