Monday, March 12, 2012

HOME-ly photos

I have been trying something different with the cameras this week, with limited results so far. But that's the risk of new ventures. For about a week, I have had a cameramounted on a post in our wetland with no photos. Finally, yesterday proved just ducky...
Hooded Merganser and Mallards
(Seneca Falls, NY 3/12)
In tha background are Mallards, but do you know the identity of the duck in the foreground? That is a female Hooded Merganser (a new camera trap species for me!). All birds have a four-letter ALPHA code used by bird banders and other ornithologists as a shorthand when recording data. Mallard becomes MALL, American Robin becomes AMRO and Hooded Merganser becomes HOME.
Hooded Mergs are cavity nesters and are a more common breeder in NY than the Common Merganser (illustrating one problem with common names...).
We don't have the requiste cavities for Hooded Mergansers to nest on our property, so during the breeding season we are HOMEless...
Female Hooded Merganser
(Seneca Falls, NY 3/12)

3 comments:

Thank you for your comment! It will appear shortly...