Subject: [Tweeters] Duck Courtship Displays - the Fill
Date: Dec 7 15:30:36 2008
From: barbara deihl - barbdeihl at comcast.net


Yesterday (Sat.12/6/08), in late morning to early afternoon, a
birding friend and I witnessed 5 adult GREEN-WINGED TEALs doing some
pretty impressive courtship displays in the vicinity of a couple of
females. In addition the displays were enhanced with some beautiful
soft whistling (distinctively different from that of the AMERICAN
WIGEONs). The visual displays involved a rearing up and tipping back
and then forward of their heads (somewhat like a hammering), with the
rusty feathers on the back of their heads flaring out. This is the
second time this fall I have seen male ducks performing in this
manner (the other was HOODED MERGANSER males, at the Tukwila Pond a
month or so ago). The females who were near the male Green-winged
Teals seemed to participate just a little, by leading the males
around in the water - no copulation was apparent. Pair-bond
strengthening? Practice for the real thing in the spring - (dress
rehearsal!)? Would appreciate elucidation on this topic by any of
you who know why these birds (other types too, I hear) are displaying
in the fall/winter.

Other interesting birds at the Fill, mainly in the middle pond)
yesterday included: one male PINTAIL duck, one RING-NECKED DUCK, one
EURASIAN WIGEON, one female WOOD DUCK, one HORNED GREBE (out in Lk.
Wash.), several HOODED MERGANSERs, one FOX SPARROW, a few SONG
SPARROWS, one dark-morph REDTAILED HAWK, 2 beautiful adult BALD
EAGLEs. There were quite a few NORTHERN SHOVELERs spinning around in
circles and a lot of AMERICAN WIGEON.

We also saw an immature COOPER'S HAWK on the golf course at the Sand
Point Country Club, and briefly, a dark MERLIN north of Meadowbrook
Ponds and a not-so-dark MERLIN in View Ridge, south of NE 65th, up on
the hill.

Pleasant birding on a mild rainless day in Seattle.

Barb Deihl
Seattle, WA
barbdeihl at comcast.net