Masked Duck for the day!

Okay, so today was pretty much a stellar day. My field trip loaded up with 16 passengers to Viera Wetlands at 6 AM and of course we would be trying our butts off for the adult male Masked Duck that has staked his claim on one particular pool. The wetlands were booming with birds including Anhingas, Ring-necked Ducks, Hooded Mergansers,etc. We birded the entrance for a while to get everyone adapted to the environment but wasted no time in making our way to, THE SPOT!" This Masked Duck has been seeing battling for marsh postion with some Ring-necked Ducks and American Coots for a while and it was our time to catch it in action.

We jumped out of the van and all of us proceeded to scan the water for the unusual visitor. I jumped on my Nikon 65mm EDG Fieldscope panning the field. Knowing that Masked Ducks are reclusive creatures with a prehistoric feel, I decided to look intently at the thicker marsh vegetation hoping for some of the deep maroon color the body of the bird holds, to show up. Nothing! I needed a little break from the deep stare into the marshy abyss, so I started scanning through the Ring-necked Ducks and American Coots to see what other waterfowl might be there. There was a bird that was quite different in terms of stature holding it's body closer to the water, however, the bird was facing away from me so I had to wait to get a different angle. The bird turned, only for me to see a spatulate-type bill. My EDG Fieldscope began delivering some excellent true colors enough to see the bill was blue and the body was deep red. BAAAAAM!

There he was! The bird in question low in the water for all to see. I was baffled to see this bird in the open. It's habits have always reminded me of the Sungrebe from south of the border, but this guy was showing off a bit. He chased Ring-necked Ducks away and in turn was chased by American Coots. The black mask was so obvious it didn't take long to ID this dude. Somewhat related to the Ruddy Duck this diver is in a monotypic genus meaning it is the only one of its kind. I learned in November that this bird does not paddle it's feet when attempting to take off but rather flies straight into the air. I got a chance to see and confirm this neat attribute. He dives down deep to get to his primary food source which is seeds and roots of aquatic plants. I have only seen this species once before in Texas, but this was the first breeding male I had seen. Truely a beautiful and exciting bird. He was a life bird for nearly everyone in the group and as a leader, I certainly felt proud of that. Our group was super active with asking questions and spotting birds. Nothing makes a leader more happy than a group that wants to learn. At one point later in the day one of our female participants spotted an American Bittern in it's freeze-stance which takes diligance and patience. I of course had to reward her with a job well done and a hefty high-five. That's what I'm talking about!!!!!

Masked Ducks breed from Mexico all the way to Brazil and in the western Caribbean. It would be nice if this one could have a mate, but he may be waiting a while. Waterfowl was the family of the day which included the next bird in the photos:

Two strapping Mottled Ducks. Notice the clean face, dark eye-line and darker chevrons on the body. The orange-yellow bills are a dead give away. These birds will sometimes hybridize with Mallards, but usually will have a darker face and a black patch on the bill indicating a female Mallard.

Overall, we had 66 species on the day and was really successful. I love my job and feel blessed to be able to experience Mother Nature's handy work.

So the Space Coast Birding & Nature Festival has officially taken flight much like this Mottled Duck. Thanks for reading and I hope you visit back. Cheers and Good Birding from your Nikon Birding ProStaff!

Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival

This Loggerhead Shrike was shot by Mike Freiberg at Merritt Island NWR with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens

The habitats in the vicinity of Titusville, Florida offers some of the most flashy birding to be found anywhere. With a plethora of marshes and mangroves many birds not only breed here, but consider this their winter home as well. Nikon ProStaffer, Tom Dunkerton, and I spent the day touring the Viera Wetlands and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. There are more waders and waterfowl than you can shake a camera at much less a stick. This Loggerhead Shrike was one of many we had seen playing in and around the mangroves. This being the only shrike that can be found down here, is a common resident and can be found in any open habitats in Florida.

The show kicks off tomorrow with field trips and the exhibitor area at the Brevard County Community College. You can register any time during the show either at the college or online at the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival website.  Thanks to Neta Harris and company, this festival has fast become the leading birding-related show in America.

This adult male Anhinga was shot by Mike Freiberg at Viera Wetlands with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens

This adult male Anhinga was drying off his feathers in the hot sun. Again, this species can be found throughout central Florida along any coastal or inland waterway. Take a look at some of the other species that graced our presence today:

This adult Glossy Ibis was shot by Mike Freiberg at Viera Wetlands with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens


This Tricolored Heron was shot by Mike Freiberg at Viera Wetlands with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens


This subadult White Ibis was shot by Mike Freiberg at Merritt Island NWR with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens


This adult Common Moorhen was shot by Mike Freiberg at Merritt Island NWR with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens


These Hooded Mergansers were shot at Viera Wetlands by Mike Freiberg with a Nikon D200/300mm F4 Nikkor lens

If you are in the area of central Florida I suggest you stop into the show and sign up for a field trip or three. Some of the best tour guides in the country will be leading and speaking here. The show will also display all sorts of birding-related items including Nikon's EDG binocular and the new Nikon SHE binocular. I wish everyone good birding and I hope you follow my journey at one of America's premier shows.

Unusual Winter Visitors!

Winter chugs along and according to most people we are all getting rained and snowed on like crazy. If it is like that down here then it is bound to be messy up north. Some of the larger storms we have been having sometimes push birds like a Snowy Owl to drop to the south to find their food, lemmings (ordinarily). Nevertheless, Snowies are opportunistic and will eat what is available. They hunt from a high perch and plunge into the snow to catch their food using only their auditory senses to locate the prey item.

Most of my Snowy experiences come from the Mission valley in Montana visiting Denver Holt's Owl Research Institute. He regularly gets 10-30 owls that winter in the valley each year. I also lived in Iowa and thus the birding can be slow in the winter, so I would drive around agricultural fields hoping to stumble across some.  I almost always for encounter some during each winter.

A Snowy Owl is not too difficult to ID, but what about sex? Snowy Owls can be sexed using the amount of darker bars on the body, particularly the chest. Females are much darker and males appear white. The whiter the bird the older of a male it is. The bird above looks certain to be a male, but I could never be sure from just looking at the photo. We can also use the extent of the white bib on the birds meaning the larger the bib, the more likely a male. All of these things would need to be evaluated carefully with each bird. Notice the bird up top is clean white underneath!

This Snowy in the photo was photographed outside of Colorado Springs this week.

Barrow's Goldeneye is an interesting bird that breeds in the Pacific Northwest including Idaho. I know there is one spot in Colorado they breed, but I am not sure where exactly. Furthermore, these birds winter in Colorado and can be found anywhere in the state during that time. This bird was photographed on the S. Platte River in Denver.

These are the kind of birds that are most sought after during the winter months. I am hoping to find a Barrow's Goldeneye near Fort Collins, but we will have to wait and see.

Both photos were taken by Nikon Birding ProStaff, Bill Schmoker. The Snowy was digiscoped with a 65mm EDG Fieldscope and Bill used a Nikon D2X and a 200-400 F4 Nikkor lens for the duck. Good birding to all! Hope you enjoyed this quick post.

Nikon's Birding Adventures TV!

Nikon Announces Title Sponsorship of Birding Adventures Television

Melville, NY - Nikon® is proud to announce it's title sponsorship of Birding Adventures TV. Now Nikon's Birding Adventures TV, the series follows host James Currie as he explores the wilderness and culture of top worldwide destinations. The highlight of the show is the quest for the, "golden bird," a unique and exciting species from each destination. Nikon's Birding Adventures TV begins in January with a lineup of exciting shows, featuring Snail Kites in Palm Beach county Florida, Green Jays, Aplomado Falcons and Red-crowned Parrots in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Guianan Toucanet from the jungles of Suriname.

"Nikon is thrilled to support the show and James' passion for the outdoors," said Jon Allen, General Manager of Nikon Sport Optics. "Nikon builds its optics for the toughest adventures and is elated to have James put it's binoculars and fieldscopes to the test week in and out."

Nikon's Birding Adventures TV is available on many networks, including Fox Sports Network™ and Untamed Sports TV™, to more than 100 million households. For local listings visit http://www.birdingadventures.com/batv_schedule.php

About Nikon

Nikon Inc. is the U.S. distributor of Nikon sports and recreational optics, world-renowned Nikon 35mm cameras, digital cameras, speedlights and accesories, Nikkor lenses and electronic imaging products. For more information about Nikon's full line of binoculars, spotting scopes, fieldscopes and laser rangefinders, visit www.nikonbirding.com 

About Nikon's Birding Adventures TV

Nikon's Birding Adventures TV on adventure bird-watching and explores exotic birding destinations; the most unusual, rare and sought-after bird species; amazing cultures and wildlife. The show portrays a unique blend of information and adventure, making bird-watching refreshing, contemporary, interesting and exciting. The program has a strong conservation emphasis and highlights the urgency of preserving the planet's incredible birdlife. For more information about Nikon's Birding Adventures TV, visit www.birdingadventures.com

A life-long birder and native of South Africa, your host James Currie has many years experience in the birding and wildlife tourism arenas. James has led professional wildlife and birding tours for over 12 years and his passion for birding and remote cultures has taken him to far corners of the earth from the Amazon and Australia to Africa and Madagascar. He has contributed to several publications, including the acclaimed Southern African Bird Finder. He is also an expert in the field of sustainable development and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in African Languages and a Masters degree in Sustainable Environmental Management.

From 2004-2007 James worked as the Managing Director of Africa Foundation, a non-profit organization that directs its efforts towards the upliftment of communities surrounding wildlife areas in Africa. James has recently immigrated to the United States with his family and currently resides in West Palm Beach, Florida.