More Wintering Waterfowl
The ducks from up north keep on coming down to spend the winter with us as their home waters freeze solid during this frigid winter. Here a pair of Buffleheads don’t seem to mind the 33 degree water. Nikon Z9 with Z 180-600 lens, 1/1250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 360
Among the ducks found on the Hudson at Piermont Pier today just south of the Tappan Zee Bridge were several pair of Buffleheads. The two seen above were obliging enough to pose side by side so that we can revisit the topic of sexual dimorphism we discussed back in the post of 1/6. You can easily see that these two ducks, male on the left and female on the right, definitely have different plumages. Ah, if they were all so accommodating.
Another winter visitor which is often one of the last to show up in times of chilly weather is the Canvasback. Males have a white body, chestnut head and black chest while the females are grayer and show more brown plumage.
Here’s a short video of some of the ducks I saw at Piermont this morning. The larger whitish ducks in the background are the Canvasbacks and the smaller guys up front (rating close to a 10 on the avian cuteness scale!) are Ruddy ducks. Point of interest, the music is entitled “Tappan Zee”. Had to use that one!
Tech Tip - I am using a video editing program called DaVinvi Resolve 19 for my video work. The learning curve is a bit steep, but like anything else if you put in the time, you’ll be happy you did in the long run. It is a program used by professional editors and here is the best part….it is FREE! FOREVER! If you are an Apple Mac person, then you have iMovie included with your machine. That is also a good choice…not quite as many features, but easier to learn. Your choice. Whichever, try doing some video work. Most newer cameras are “hybrid” meaning they can do fine work with both stills and movies. Enjoy!
