Yesterday, after Rich Rieger introduced a hunting issue on the Virginia birding listserv, I posted to VA-Bird a link to my blog. The discussion of hunting is strictly forbidden on the listerv, but no such rule prevails here. I received a comment from Bob Adamek, a hunter, who expressed an opposing view. I have continued the thread with my response. If interested, refer to the comment section following “A Word (or two) about Hunting,” below.
I invite comments and none are censored or deleted. Mistakenly, I set my preferences allowing only registered Google users to be able to comment. I have corrected this so you can also use “Name/URL,” or “Anonymous.”
Showing posts with label waterfowl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label waterfowl. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
A Word (or two) about Duck Hunting
The beauty of blogs is that the blogger gets to set the rules. There are no moderators, no list “owners” piping in to squelch a perfectly worthy and lucid elucidation. No wonder blogging is so popular.
The discussion of hunting is verboten on the Virginia birding listserv--just too darn controversial--even though every couple of years or so someone new to the list gets in a few licks before being clobbered by the moderator. So, I plan to express an uncensored view on this barbaric activity.
I drove the George Washington Parkway again today, hoping to have close views of the ducks that have been concentrated together in the Potomac River in the little open water amidst the ice, often near the shore. In just two days, with temperatures as high as 55, the river again has become all liquid, beautiful and blue. Alas, the ducks were widely scattered and distant.
At Riverside Park, hunters were distant too, across the river in Maryland, shooting from a blind off shore. In front of the blind, they had their cute little decoys assembled, with fake wings spinning. A couple of guys in smart camo attire were walking the shoreline. With my spotting scope I could see one of them using a duck whistle, while the other carried a gun. I certainly recognized them as human machomen, not a walking forest, but they were counting on the fooling the ducks.
They were having a good day, I gather, judging from the many gun blasts and some splashing in the water. I wonder how they retrieved their prey, since no dogs or boats were apparent. I also wonder about those hunters on foot when hunting is legal only from duck blinds. I plan to spend more time watching next time and have the Maryland Department of Natural Resources police phone number in my cell phone. 410-260-8888
How many more generations will pass before ducks will realize that the only humans to fear are those wearing camo. The rest of us enjoy watching ducks, identifying ducks, photographing ducks. Some who really shouldn’t, feed them, and some just plain ignore them. We’re all harmless. But ducks need to be on guard only for those walking forests, machomen in camo. I hope and trust they will learn that in time.
John Burroughs, writing in Wild Life about my Cabin, had it exactly right. In the end, he said, the hunter will have “only a dead duck” whereas the rest of us will have “a live duck with whistling wings, cleaving the air northward.”
The discussion of hunting is verboten on the Virginia birding listserv--just too darn controversial--even though every couple of years or so someone new to the list gets in a few licks before being clobbered by the moderator. So, I plan to express an uncensored view on this barbaric activity.
I drove the George Washington Parkway again today, hoping to have close views of the ducks that have been concentrated together in the Potomac River in the little open water amidst the ice, often near the shore. In just two days, with temperatures as high as 55, the river again has become all liquid, beautiful and blue. Alas, the ducks were widely scattered and distant.
At Riverside Park, hunters were distant too, across the river in Maryland, shooting from a blind off shore. In front of the blind, they had their cute little decoys assembled, with fake wings spinning. A couple of guys in smart camo attire were walking the shoreline. With my spotting scope I could see one of them using a duck whistle, while the other carried a gun. I certainly recognized them as human machomen, not a walking forest, but they were counting on the fooling the ducks.
They were having a good day, I gather, judging from the many gun blasts and some splashing in the water. I wonder how they retrieved their prey, since no dogs or boats were apparent. I also wonder about those hunters on foot when hunting is legal only from duck blinds. I plan to spend more time watching next time and have the Maryland Department of Natural Resources police phone number in my cell phone. 410-260-8888
How many more generations will pass before ducks will realize that the only humans to fear are those wearing camo. The rest of us enjoy watching ducks, identifying ducks, photographing ducks. Some who really shouldn’t, feed them, and some just plain ignore them. We’re all harmless. But ducks need to be on guard only for those walking forests, machomen in camo. I hope and trust they will learn that in time.
John Burroughs, writing in Wild Life about my Cabin, had it exactly right. In the end, he said, the hunter will have “only a dead duck” whereas the rest of us will have “a live duck with whistling wings, cleaving the air northward.”
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Parkway Birding, Again
Once again, I returned to bird the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Why not? I enjoy seeing familiar avian faces and seem to discover something new each time I visit.
As I crossed the stone bridge over Hunting Creek, I spotted the two female ducks, a Lesser Scaup and a Common Goldeneye, who appeared to be sticking together here two days ago. No others of their species were in the immediate area, although many Lesser Scaup were on the Potomac within a mile or two. I've seen no other Common Goldeneyes anywhere else along the river this season. Maybe these two decided to be winter companions. Standing on the bridge with my camera didn't seem to spook the goldeneye.
Today, I followed the call of a Killdeer to its foraging spot on the edges of the little creek that runs along part of the boundary of the Belle Haven Country Club golf course.
You might think that pickin's would be slim here in late January, but this Killdeer nabbed a nice- sized insect larva.
Off it went to hunt a little further downstream.
I passed the dead fox, lying in the same position as when I first saw it two days ago. I was surprised that it had not obviously deteriorated nor been taken by a scavenger.
Keeping an eye out for the warblers I saw along this stretch of the parkway recently, I was delighted to see the Palm Warbler again. I didn't manage a photo, but was relieved to know it got through the night when the temperature fell to 8 degrees. I was able to find the Common Yellowthroat after the deep freeze but, so far, not the Orange-crowned or Yellow I saw here last week.
Today, I missed the Cooper's and Red-shouldered Hawks that I've seen on most visits, but rather a Red-tailed Hawk perched for a time on a two different trees alongside the golf course.
Ducks, geese, swans, eagles, gulls and herons can be found in the river at many spots from Hunting Creek to Riverside Park and it's fun to drive down the parkway, stopping at pull-offs and finally at Riverside to look for them. Every day, the birds are distributed a little differently, sometimes affording good views and even photos. So much of the river is frozen now, but the birds find the open areas and often congregate in tight rafts.
A couple of Tundra Swans were close to the shore at the Vernon View pull-off, but naturally, they took off in the direction of Maryland as I approached the water.
A good ear and sharp eye is often needed to spot a Brown Creeper. Fortunately for me, both were provided by a friend whom I bumped into along the parkway this morning.
As I crossed the stone bridge over Hunting Creek, I spotted the two female ducks, a Lesser Scaup and a Common Goldeneye, who appeared to be sticking together here two days ago. No others of their species were in the immediate area, although many Lesser Scaup were on the Potomac within a mile or two. I've seen no other Common Goldeneyes anywhere else along the river this season. Maybe these two decided to be winter companions. Standing on the bridge with my camera didn't seem to spook the goldeneye.
Today, I followed the call of a Killdeer to its foraging spot on the edges of the little creek that runs along part of the boundary of the Belle Haven Country Club golf course.
You might think that pickin's would be slim here in late January, but this Killdeer nabbed a nice- sized insect larva.
Off it went to hunt a little further downstream.
I passed the dead fox, lying in the same position as when I first saw it two days ago. I was surprised that it had not obviously deteriorated nor been taken by a scavenger.
Keeping an eye out for the warblers I saw along this stretch of the parkway recently, I was delighted to see the Palm Warbler again. I didn't manage a photo, but was relieved to know it got through the night when the temperature fell to 8 degrees. I was able to find the Common Yellowthroat after the deep freeze but, so far, not the Orange-crowned or Yellow I saw here last week.
Today, I missed the Cooper's and Red-shouldered Hawks that I've seen on most visits, but rather a Red-tailed Hawk perched for a time on a two different trees alongside the golf course.
Ducks, geese, swans, eagles, gulls and herons can be found in the river at many spots from Hunting Creek to Riverside Park and it's fun to drive down the parkway, stopping at pull-offs and finally at Riverside to look for them. Every day, the birds are distributed a little differently, sometimes affording good views and even photos. So much of the river is frozen now, but the birds find the open areas and often congregate in tight rafts.
A couple of Tundra Swans were close to the shore at the Vernon View pull-off, but naturally, they took off in the direction of Maryland as I approached the water.
A good ear and sharp eye is often needed to spot a Brown Creeper. Fortunately for me, both were provided by a friend whom I bumped into along the parkway this morning.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Ice on the Potomac
Inauguration morning didn’t look any different than any other along the George Washington Parkway, except that the traffic was much lighter and there was a Coast Guard ship sitting at anchor in the mostly frozen river.
Having spent some time along the parkway over the last couple of weeks, I recognized a perched Red-shouldered Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk that flashed by as likely regulars. A few Killdeer passed overhead, headed for some mud alongside open water.
Hoping to find the four warblers I saw a few days ago, I managed to locate only the previously camera-shy Common Yellowthroat. Chipping vigorously and foraging in low vegetation, he let me snap a couple of photos. He looked like a first fall male to me, with some mottling on his cheeks, suggesting the black mask he will acquire.
Both kinglet species know how to handle winter and a small flock of Golden-crowned and a Ruby-crowned were working the understory for nourishment to handle their energy requirements for another cold night.
No, not frozen swallows, they're only milkweed pods, possibly coated with a fungus of some kind.
Startled to come upon this fox, I drew back to a safe distance, not knowing if it was asleep or dead. It quickly became apparent it was dead. Its healthy appearance and beautiful, thick and lustrous coat gave no clue as to what might have taken it. Too bad.
Crossing over the stone bridge which spans Hunting Creek, I noticed a Pied-billed Grebe.
and nearby, two female ducks, a Lesser Scaup and Common Goldeneye.
The sewage treatment plant of the Alexandria Sanitation Authority discharges reclaimed water into Hunting Creek just upstream, so the creek is open and unfrozen. Many hundreds of geese and gulls were resting and cavorting on the creek.
Leaving in time to watch the swearing-in ceremony of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, I felt a bit like this Golden-crowned Kinglet who appeared to be jumping with joy.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Dyke Marsh in early December
When you see a raft of a couple thousand or more American Coots a few hundred yards out in the middle of the river, you have to wonder why one lone individual chooses to hang out with a few Mallards just feet from the shore. Is this bird a shunned outcast, a free thinker, or just a loner? Pondering that heavy question while shooting a few frames of the backside of this preening bird tested my multi-tasking skills. Fortunately, it stopped to glance in my direction occasionally.
It's not often that I see a coot head on and relatively close up, so I was struck by the knob called a callus at the base of its bill, a curious feature, indeed.
Ducks were plentiful on the river. More than 1,000 mostly sleeping Ruddies, but also Ring-necked, Lesser Scaup, Northern Shoveler, Canvasback, and yes, even a few Redhead ducks, joined the hundreds of Mallards. Did we miss a few species? Probably. Until the Christmas Bird Count to be conducted here on Dec. 20 requires it, scrutinizing every square yard of watery real estate to record the number of every last bird is just too much work on a relaxing day of birding. At least, for me it is.
A walk down Haul Road and a scan of the river at the Belle Haven picnic area on a pleasant, sunny, December day was made more enjoyable by the presence of three fine friends. We didn’t find the over 400 Horned Grebes that were reported just a few days previously, but we did spot a Tree Sparrow in the middle of the trail. This species, seen only in winter in our area, and then only irregularly, is always a kick to find. As distinctive as this species is, with its clear breast marked by a central spot, chestnut crown, strong white wing bars, and two-toned bill, I admit with appropriate humility that we called the bird a Swamp and then a Chipping Sparrow before settling on the correct ID. Below is an inferior digiscoped photo, a “placeholder” until, hopefully, a better one is produced later in the season.
Nothing is more fun than serendipity on such excursions, and a Common Yellowthroat filled the bill this day by chipping first and then providing a few brief glimpses as we peered from the boardwalk into the dried cattails. Late, but hardly a record-setting date for this species, Common Yellowthroats are usually seen on CBCs in the coastal plain.
Otherwise, it was the usual early winter fare, with this active Ruby-crowned Kinglet entertaining from low branches along the trail on the stretch through the forested area.
It's not often that I see a coot head on and relatively close up, so I was struck by the knob called a callus at the base of its bill, a curious feature, indeed.
Ducks were plentiful on the river. More than 1,000 mostly sleeping Ruddies, but also Ring-necked, Lesser Scaup, Northern Shoveler, Canvasback, and yes, even a few Redhead ducks, joined the hundreds of Mallards. Did we miss a few species? Probably. Until the Christmas Bird Count to be conducted here on Dec. 20 requires it, scrutinizing every square yard of watery real estate to record the number of every last bird is just too much work on a relaxing day of birding. At least, for me it is.
A walk down Haul Road and a scan of the river at the Belle Haven picnic area on a pleasant, sunny, December day was made more enjoyable by the presence of three fine friends. We didn’t find the over 400 Horned Grebes that were reported just a few days previously, but we did spot a Tree Sparrow in the middle of the trail. This species, seen only in winter in our area, and then only irregularly, is always a kick to find. As distinctive as this species is, with its clear breast marked by a central spot, chestnut crown, strong white wing bars, and two-toned bill, I admit with appropriate humility that we called the bird a Swamp and then a Chipping Sparrow before settling on the correct ID. Below is an inferior digiscoped photo, a “placeholder” until, hopefully, a better one is produced later in the season.
Nothing is more fun than serendipity on such excursions, and a Common Yellowthroat filled the bill this day by chipping first and then providing a few brief glimpses as we peered from the boardwalk into the dried cattails. Late, but hardly a record-setting date for this species, Common Yellowthroats are usually seen on CBCs in the coastal plain.
Otherwise, it was the usual early winter fare, with this active Ruby-crowned Kinglet entertaining from low branches along the trail on the stretch through the forested area.
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