Mallard Duck pair show their affection alongside a Lesser Scaup

The setting: a small pond located in a local city park in Milwaukee. 

The characters: One female Mallard, one male Mallard, one male Lesser Scaup, and one male Blue-winged Teal.

The action: coitus.
 
Even though the weather was atrocious, I headed to Humboldt Park to see if any new visitors had arrived. There were two: the teal (a dabbling duck that visits this pond yearly) and the scaup (a diving duck that winters here and is normally seen on large inland lakes or out on Lake Michigan). Of course, I stood around taking pictures, attempting to ignore my quickly freezing fingers and the miserable lighting. 

It paid off. 

After several minutes of watching the teal and scaup, I noticed the mallard pair start to circle each other. Then, they both head bobbed for a few seconds. Before I could finish fiddling with my settings, coitus had begun.

Drake mallards (and I assume other male ducks as well) completely submerge the female during mating, as pictured here: 

A casual observer would not even know that the male was sitting atop of the female. (The scaup seemed oblivious--that's for sure!)

After just a few moments, the female emerged. 

The mallards circled each other again, then each stretched out, seeming satisfied. 

The end.

April 2nd Birds in the "field behind the Cousins Center."

Female House Finch. SHE was the one singing!

Male House Finch. Common, yet lovely.

Song Sparrow foraging.

Song Sparrow and American Robin.

Vibrant male American Robin.

The same beautiful robin.

First of year Eastern Phoebe.

Red-bellied Woodpecker on phone pole.

Fox Sparrow--my favorite sparrow. I will never forget the first time that I viewed one at eye level while birding Montrose's Magic Hedge in Chicago.

 

Milwaukee Airport Snowy Owl

Someone forwarded me a photo of a Snowy Owl that landed on someone's roof in my neighborhood. I was MAD. I usually only see the SNOWs when they are way far out on the ice under the Hoan bridge. Well, I can't be mad now--I happened upon a young, female SNOW as she scoped out her surroundings at the Milwaukee Airport while driving north along Howell this evening. I didn't have my camera with me, but, luckily, she was in the same place when I returned with it about ten minutes later. I got to watch her for about ten minutes or so. Then, she flew up on top of a light pole right on Howell, but only briefly before she soared east over the airport post office. What a great way to end a Monday!

Long-tailed Duck at Lakeshore State Park and Spring Birds at the CGI

The water along Lake Michigan is finally thawing out. I actually became a little giddy when I saw the shoreline at South Shore Park receding. The CGI was hopping--no "rare" birds, but still a good time. Gulls are still around...oh, spring! So exciting! And I finally manged a decent Bufflehead photo (above). Other birds seen today: Red-throated Loon, flyover Common Grackles

Dark-eyed Junco CGI

Killdeer making a fuss--already! It's not even breeding season yet!

Killdeer portrait

Long-tailed Duck at Lakeshore State Park

Long-tailed Duck at Lakeshore State Park

Long-tailed Duck at Lakeshore State Park

Red-tailed Hawk at the CGI

American Robin at the CGI

Red-winged Blackbird at the CGI

Northern Shovelers on ice at Cupertino Park

White-winged Scoter behind MAM

Gulls, gulls, always gulls!

Like many, I am frustrated by this lingering winter. I am more than ready for migrant songbirds to return, as they are my favorite to observe and photograph. Alas, I will need to be patient...until then, at least there are still hundreds of gulls in the Milwaukee area to challenge me. Today, I saw Herring, Ring-billed, Glaucous and Greater Black-backed Gulls. When looking for gulls, I have to sort through so many Ring-billed and Herrings in order to find a different species. Plus, I'm not great with gull ID! Nevertheless, I enjoy watching one of our most tenacious birds in action.

Here is a pictorial of what I saw today:

Ring-billed Gull Making Its Voice HEARD!

Two Ring-billed Gulls

My favorite of the day--what I believe is an immature Herring Gull showing its tongue while yawning!

Ring-billed Gull in Flight

All right, I'm moving. Jeez! Two Ring-billeds.

Ring-billed Portrait

Another Ring-billed Portrait

Far-off Glaucous Gull

Far off Great Black-backed Gull that seemed small for a GBBG...but that's what it was!

More on diving ducks and an interlude with a pheasant

Of course I had to bird today--the temperature hit 50+ degrees. I hoped to spot my first of year Red-winged Blackbird. That didn't happen, though. Birding today was pretty slow--but once again, I was confronted with avian mortality.

My first stop was the Port Washington Harbor. It was quiet compared to last Monday when I visited (and yesterday, when people saw a Red-throated Loon and Long-tailed Duck). I first noticed this Greater Scaup, looking relieved to bask in the sun:

The next thing that I noticed were the numerous recently dead ducks--they floated belly up around the periphery of the ice. I shuddered. Sometimes I feel guilty birding when I know that birds have it so tough. My stomach really sunk, though, when I came across the following scene:

Alive Greater Scaup resting near a deceased Greated Scaup

Even though I felt sad, I didn't stop birding. I'm glad. I was able to watch many of the common divers and capture images of them all afternoon. They will be migrating north soon, so I want to get my fill.

Along with ducks, I again spotted a Red-throated Loon in the Milwaukee Harbor and I found a Ring-necked Pheasant in the middle of the road near 6 Mile and County A in Port/Belgium (not sure which). This guy barely flinched when a motorcyclist approached, then slowed, coming from the opposite direction. After the pheasant crossed the road, he pecked around in the dirt for awhile, occasionally finding something to munch on.

The pheasant was quite cooperative. I wish his mate would have showed herself, though, as I haven't seen a female pheasant yet.

The other interesting sight today was that of the female Red-breasted Merganser pictured below. As you can see, she was resting on the edge of an ice slab where it met open water (near the Milwaukee lighthouse). After a few moments of watching her, the lil lady began waddling on the ice--AWAY from the open water. No!!!! I yelled inwardly. GO THE OTHER WAY!!!! She kept padding along, then suddenly, she took off flying--from the ice slab! Again, though, she flew further into the ice, not away from it. I was befuddled. I thought that divers could not take off from the ice. However, on the ice sat a VERY shallow pool of water--maybe that is how she was able to anchor herself. In any case, I'm pulling for her. Hopefully, she returned to open water when she wanted to.