Duck Hunting

I went duck hunting Sunday and Monday the frigid temperatures and snowfall really narrow your choices as to hunting spots. i carefully planned my trip and with thoughtful planning was able to limit my exposure to sub-zero temperatures. I was able to sneak up on over one hundred and fifty mallards on Sunday and about the same number of Canada Geese on Monday. There were a few Gadwalls, Hooded & Common Mergansers and a Green-winged Teal thrown in for good measures. i found a big clump of Cracker Ducks, too.

It wasn't very difficult to harvest the variety and numbers I needed to take home. I didn't even get very cold; although I was only wearing Ventilators with wool socks. I didn't have to spend more than about 10 minutes outside to reach my limit. How was I so successful in such a short period of time? I planned well and went to my favorite spot for duck hunting. The local sewage treatment plant. That is where the duck action is. Ducks and sewage plants go together like Old Bay and blue crabs. When I think of all of those real duck hunters out there chomping down on a nice juicy Breast of Mallard; I always think of where the juice really comes from. And Smile.
(c)2015 High Virginia Outdoors Photos (c) High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Waiting For Ducks

The winter of 2013/2014 was a really great waterfowl season in this area. The winter of 2014/2015 has been pretty dismal. There sure isn't much out there to look at. Things can change quickly; you never know. But, right now the waterways are pretty much devoid of duck life. There isn't much to see other than the resident Canada Geese, Mallards, Cracker Ducks and the occasional Bufflehead. There just isn't much to get excited about.

There isn't much in my yard, either. The juncos show up when they see a snowflake. But, they seemingly stay over in the clear-cut most of the time. My Pine Siskins have moved on and I have a couple of Fox Sparrows. That is just about it after you take the goldfinches out of the equation. Yep, we need something new to look at. Bring on the Ducks.

(c)2014 High Virginia Outdoors All Rights Reserved

Our Confusing Scaup

Scaup can be confusing, no matter what your birding skill level is. Living in the mountains of West Virginia, we tend to have our sightings few and far between. Therefore, it is tougher to get embedded into your brain here; more so than in other locations. During normal years, most of the scaup we see are Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) they are our most common and expected species. I usually expect to see a couple of Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) every other year or so.

We all have figured out by now that the winter of 2013-2014 was not normal. The Great Lakes were nearly completely frozen over and this had a major effect on waterfowl travel. We were blessed with more Greater Scaup than Lesser Scaup and I was privileged enough to be able to get several photos of both species in the same frame. Sometimes things just work out, not often but sometimes.

This next photo show a Lesser Scaup in the middle. Notice the shape of the head, shape of the bill and the barring on its flanks. I felt very lucky to get these shots. Distance, lighting and weather always seem to hinder our views, but etching things in our mind always make us more confident. This was the first time; as far back as I can remember that I have ever seen both species together in the mountains of WV. I actually took some half-hearted photos of these earlier in the day; thinking they were all Lesser Scaup. I happened to look at the photos later in the day and realized that I actually had some bad Greater Scaup shots. I rushed back to the location and they were actually still there.

Change is in the Air

Pied-billed Grebe (c) 2013 HVI

That little drab bird that you have seen all winter long bobbing and diving in the ponds and backwaters is no longer drab. Our Pied-billed Grebes are getting some color. They are getting ready to move into secluded cattail stands to raise their broods. We do not have a strong breeding population here in West Virginia; but there are a few pairs that choose to stay here and raise their young. Soon they will be stamping down a mat of vegetation and laying their eggs. It may be somewhere near you. One will never know what is going on around them; unless they make the effort to observe.

(c) 2012 HVI

Changes happen on a continuous basis but; do we see them? Yes, changes are in the air on this first day of pseudo Spring.

Posted by High Virginia Outdoors  Photos by High Virginia Images (c) 2013 All Rights Reserved

Mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey

Canvasback (c) 2012 HVI

Mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey Results

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Wildlife biologists counted 5,252 ducks and 6,262 Canada geese during the annual mid-winter waterfowl survey in early January according to Steve Wilson, Waterfowl Biologist for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Section.

“The number of ducks and geese counted this year increased 73 percent and 44 percent respectively compared to last year, and both are well above the 10-year average,” Wilson said. The increase was not unexpected due to weather fronts moving through from the northwest in December.
Canada geese, mallards and black ducks, as usual, were the most commonly observed species in the 2013 survey. Other waterfowl observed include: canvasback, scaup, ring-necked duck, redhead, bufflehead, wood duck, gadwall, mergansers and tundra swans. Nine adult and five juvenile bald eagles were also observed.
The survey was conducted on January 7, 8, and 10, 2013, and included portions of the Kanawha, Ohio, Shenandoah and New Rivers as well as Tygart and Bluestone Lakes.

**DNR**

Area	2013		2012		2011		2010		2009
	Ducks	Geese	Ducks	Geese	Ducks	Geese	Ducks	Geese	Ducks	Geese
Kanawha River (Upper	290	282	243	421	121	673	160	465	253	326
Kanawha River (Lower)	430	216	245	59	102	182	66	483	123	304
Ohio River (Lower)	1,238	1,672	1,342	1,017	1,195	764	849	1,321	290	501
Ohio River (Middle)	2,614	3,641	1,134	2,067	2,712	3,536	1,424	4,915	975	1,365
Tygart Lake/Pleasant Creek	213	11	254	16	82	15	212	170	72	128
Shenandoah River	85	36	81	57	136	588	18	154	102	422
Bluestone Lake/New River	382	404	417	267	696	389	139	281	218	229
Total	5,252	6,262	3,716	3,904	5,044	6,147	2,868	7,789	2,033	3,275
10-Year Average	3,300	4,604	3,036	4,352	3,333	4,729	4,905	5,154	5,012	4,764

A Good Start

(c) 2013 High Virginia Images

Randolph County, WV is not known as a waterfowl hotspot; but you never know what will show up from time to time. This Canvasback sure surprised me. It was at the railroad trestle near Norton, this afternoon. (1/2/13) This location is just above the mouth of Grassy Run (the crown jewel of Randolph County). There were also 2 Lesser Scaup, 4 Buffleheads and 7 Ruddy Ducks present. This was a nice and pleasant way to start off the 2013 birding year. Until this afternoon; I was quite happy with the American Tree Sparrow and the Red-breasted Nuthatch, to begin the year. This may possibly be the first recorded sighting of a Canvasback in Randolph County !!

Davis Ducks

(c) 2012 High Virginia Images

I had to go to Thomas on the afternoon of Monday October 29 of 2012; just as the storm was getting started. I had just enough time to briefly check out the Davis sewage pond. I pulled into the lower end of the pond and didn't see any waterfowl; the snow was just starting to intensify. I took the dogs and binoculars and began walking to the southern end of the pond. The whole upper portion was covered with ducks and geese and I was able to identify: Mallards, American Black Duck,Gadwall,Ruddy Duck,American Wigeon,Northern Pintail,Ring-necked Duck,Wood Duck,Northern Shoveler,American Coots and Canada Geese. The numbers were building as the snows got heavier. I walked back to my truck for the camera. The dogs and I were covered with 3 inches of slush; by the time we reached the vehicle. It may be a 200 yard walk at the most. I got the truck parked in the only spot that provided an unobstructed view of the pond. Of course I was facing into the wind coming from the northwest. It didn't take long for the camera lens to fill with snow. This was the highest numbers and variety of waterfowl that I have ever seen in the WV mountains. I was surprised that no mergansers were present. By the time I got out of there and was headed for Thomas, the roads were quickly deteriorating and you probably know the rest of the story from there. To say the least, it got worse.But, I was glad to see all of these species in WV at one time. It was surely the highlight of the week.

Thomas Dam Canvasback

The Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) is one of the largest diving ducks. It is most often found on large, deep bodies of water. This species is not something that you would expect to find at the dam in Thomas, WV. There was very little open water present. this Canvasback was right at the dam. You never know what you may find, if you pay attention to your surroundings.