Winter Birds 2024

A variety of birds hang around the local creek in the Winter when the osprey aren't visiting.  We enjoy watching them and their variety of behaviors.  There has been a huge flock of geese.  I was surprised to see a pair of swans two days ago since I haven't seen any on the creek for several years.

Canada geese

Buffleheads

Trumpeter swan

Cute Buffleheads in the Creek

I just love watching the bufflehead ducks in the nearby water in the Winter.  They bob up and down looking for food.  They are very quick and very cute to watch.  I am sure they are just trying to stay alive by constantly feeding.  They eat water insects, snails, crustaceans (crabs in this case) and water plants.  They are pretty powerful swimmers and known as the smallest North American duck breed.  From a distance they look black and white, but closer up there are more greens and purples visible in their plumage.

Here are some older favorites of the little birds.

Bufflehead Portrait

I photographed a local Bufflehead in a pond for my friend who wanted a memory of this cute visitor.  This one looked black and white until I put it on my computer.  Now you can see the subtle reds and greens in their feathers.  I love to watch them bobbing in and out of the water when they have their meals.  They are only 13-16 inches long and are one of the smallest ducks.