Birds at the Beaver Pond

Five great blue herons took off, shortly afterwards three pairs of hooded mergansers did the same, and then some wood ducks that had been out of sight flew off. That all happened as I approached the beaver pond where I planned to spend some time photographing waterfowl.

The morning was dark gray with a bit of mist in the air – good weather for ducks as some folks say. The pond’s water level had dropped since the last time I was there and there was now a 15 to 20 foot wide band of mud, sedges and a few dead trees between dry land and water. It was beneath two small white pines on dry land that I set my lightweight folding chair and strung a net “sniper’s veil” to break up my outline.

Fifteen minutes later a male hooded merganser swooped in to land on the pond followed by his mate, but she landed behind some tall sedges and a highbush blueberry. Male hoodies are one of the most beautiful ducks –

It wasn’t long afterward that a great blue heron came in to land near, as it turned out it was too near, a Canada goose incubating her eggs. As the heron touched down the male goose set up a great racket and flew over to send the heron fleeing.

More herons arrived and landed far enough from the goose nest to be left in peace. Two were about half way down the pond, a third landed much closer to me –

While all this was going on the male hooded merganser swam closer to the beaver’s lodge (you can see the goose on her nest in the background) –

and a beaver swam across the pond headed to it’s lodge –

Meanwhile the male hooded merganser turned around to swim back out toward deeper water –

Another pair of hooded mergansers landed on the pond, the male of which posed nicely beneath a fallen tree –

The rain was increasing, it was getting darker and one of the great blue herons had landed near the Canada goose nest, surprisingly without prompting loud protests from the male goose –

And then the rain markedly increased, there was more fog, the mergansers went off towards the far end of the beaver pond –

Now my clothes were soaking through and the camera and lens were quite wet – it was time to leave.

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A week later I returned to the beaver pond on a cloudy gray morning, but one without rain. I sat in the same spot, this time the wood ducks didn’t flush and they continued doing wood duck things –

 

At the far end of the pond there were blue-winged teal and hooded mergansers, too far for photographs – nothing to do but wait. And then … and then two great egrets landed about half way down the pond, but closer than the great blue heron in the distance –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although great egrets don't nest in northcentral Pennsylvania, they do wander to our area both before and after their nesting season. Apparently the great egrets were feeding on small fish or invertebrates that were too small to see clearly. The great blue heron caught several larger fish that it gave a flip as it sent them toward its crop –

The egrets were very active, moving around and actively feeding. 

 

Suddenly all the ducks, the great blue heron and both great egrets took to the air –

Unfortunately none of the birds had returned when it was time for me to leave.