As we look forward to the arrival of many of our familiar summer birds, we might also take the time to search out those unfamiliar springtime birds that will soon be leaving us. Anyone who spends time monitoring their feeding stations, like I do, will be sensitive to the idea that white-throated sparrows, juncos and American tree sparrows will soon be leaving us. It may interest you to know, however, that there are other birds that have been here for about a month that will soon depart in almost complete anonymity.
I am speaking of one particular species of duck that I see every year from the most awkward of birding platforms — the speeding automobile. The ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris) is a bird that religiously visits a particular lake near my house. I tend to see it on rainy mornings in March and April while I am heading off to work, and again in the afternoons when I return home. Extremely easy to spot from a distance, this species has proven diabolically difficult for me to get close to.
The ring-necked duck is a species that spends the winters in an area that can be best described as U-shaped. The eastern arm extends into Massachusetts and as the range moves south, it widens to include eastern Pennsylvania and all of Virginia before spreading west to the Rocky Mountains, then northwest up into Vancouver Island and the very southern limits of Alaska. Basically, this bird needs open water during the winter months and some individuals will remain as far north as possible.
Because the lake near my house freezes over during the winter months, there are no ducks or geese to be found there at all. During those first days of thaw in March, the situation changes quickly. As soon as open water appears, so do the ducks.
The problem — at least the problem that I keep running into — is the fact that March and April are usually dominated by rotten weather. The weekends are precious, and weekends with clear weather are rare and wonderful things. As a result, year after year I am given perhaps a day or two when I might go out in search of ducks.
The first days of thaw are the best because open water tends to appear first in an area close to the shore of my particular lake. As a result, the ducks are forced to float around in a small area of water that is within range of my camera. This advantage is offset by the fact that ducks are extremely wary of humans; after hundreds of years of being shot at, who can blame them? So, my best strategy is to drive by the lake and only stop and take pictures through my open passenger window when a duck drifts close to shore. Ducks don’t see cars as dangerous, but a human on foot will scare them off in seconds.
It is right now that the numbers of ring-necked ducks are at their highest. In the next two weeks, their numbers will drop off sharply and by the second week in May, they will be gone altogether. Their destination is a breeding range that stretches from Maine up to the Arctic Circle and west to the interior of Alaska. It’s quite interesting that these ducks seem to have no interest in coastal areas for the breeding season, but this may be in part due to specialization and competition.
The ring-necked duck is one species in a genus of very similar ducks. The greater scaup (Aythya marila), the lesser scaup (A. affinis) and the tufted duck (A. fuligula) are all black-headed ducks with breast feathers that are jet black, with a razor-sharp boarder and titanium white abdominal feathers. Only the most subtle differences in plumage are discernable by birders with a great deal of experience, but sometimes habitat is a key factor. Scaups (especially the greater scaup) tend to favor salt water a bit more than ring-necked ducks.
The key features to identifying ring-necked ducks are twofold. First, there is a bright white ring around the tip of the bill that is fairly easy to see from a distance. Why the species was not named for this field mark, I do not know. Second, and much more difficult to see, is a ring of iridescent maroon feathers on the neck (the feathers for which the species was named). The problem with these maroon feathers is the fact that they are only really visible in bright light and even then, they don’t stand out in great contrast to the black feathers surrounding them.
Once they leave us, the ring-necked ducks will head up into Canada. Females will lay eight to 12 olive-gray eggs in a nest on the ground that is generously lined with soft down. The nest will be located near freshwater and upon hatching, the ducklings will be absolutely adorable and grow quickly on a diet of aquatic invertebrates. Once they have grown, the whole family and all the other ring-necked ducks will return to our area by late August. Only the freezing of the lakes and ponds in December will drive them farther south in winter.
For now, however, the ring-necked ducks are still with us. If you have any chance to go for a duck drive this coming weekend, I would head to the Turners Falls canal, the Connecticut River or possibly even the Deerfield River in Shelburne Falls. Another great place to look for ducks is the Quabbin Reservoir, but you will need binoculars or a powerful spotting scope to see any ducks there.
Whatever you do, pack a picnic lunch and bring a friend. Getting out to see spring unfold is certainly something worth sharing.
Bill Danielson has been a professional writer and nature photographer for 20 years. He has worked for the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and Massachusetts State Parks, and currently teaches high school biology and physics. Visit www.speakingofnature.com for more information, or go to Speaking of Nature on Facebook.