Tag Archives: Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck, February 11, 2020

Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck (click to see the larger version)

A Long-tailed Duck was the highlight of an otherwise uneventful morning on February 11. It was in a small area of water being kept open by an aerator on the north side of the harbor. Long-tailed Ducks are usually offshore birds on Lake Michigan so when I see a bird like this so close to shore I wonder if it’s sick or injured.

Long-tailed Ducks are highly variable in appearance. Adult males in winter are a striking mix of gray, black, and white. At the other end of the spectrum are immature females which are mostly dark. Based on the dark color, and especially the dark crown, this bird is probably an immature female.

Spring can’t come soon enough.

eBird Checklist
February 11, 2020

Long-tailed Duck (deceased), April 3, 2019

Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck (click to see the larger version)

What nature giveth, nature also taketh away. Seeing a dead bird is always sad. Seeing a dead bird as beautiful as a male Long-tailed Duck is poignant. This deceased Long-tailed Duck was on Montrose Beach on April 3. The bird was alive (but apparently not well) the day before but for unknown reasons didn’t survive. The specimen will go to the Field Museum where it will be available to scientists and others to study. Long-tailed Ducks are regular visitors to Lake Michigan during the colder months of the year.

White-winged and Black Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks, March 17, 2019

Today was a good day to look at Lake Michigan – overcast skies, a flat surface, and excellent visibility most of the way to the horizon, perfect conditions for looking for birds on the water. While scanning the lake I found several groups of White-winged Scoters, a female Black Scoter, and 4 Long-tailed Ducks. The White-winged Scoters (~20) were scattered in small flocks 1/5 to 1/4 mile offshore from the fishing pier. With one of these flocks was a female Black Scoter, a good bird for Montrose in the spring. Finally, I saw a group of Long-tailed Ducks flying south far offshore. These birds landed eventually but disappeared because of distance. Also of note were about a dozen Double-crested Cormorants on the water crib a couple of miles offshore from Montrose, the beginnings of the nesting colony. Link to my eBird checklist for the day below.

eBird Checklist
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S53931628

Long-tailed Duck, March 6, 2017

Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck (click to see the larger version)

A tame female Long-tailed Duck was the birding highlight at Montrose this morning, March 6. Montrose regular Dave Antieau found her in the southeast corner of Montrose Harbor, close to the harbor wall. Long-tailed Ducks are uncommon but regular visitors to Montrose, so this sighting isn’t that unusual. What is unusual is how close to land the bird was – Long-tailed Ducks are typically found offshore on Lake Michigan. Whenever I see them close to shore, like this bird, I assume they are sick or injured. Call it a prejudice of mine.

eBird Checklist
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S35002209

White-winged Scoters and Long-tailed Duck, February 27, 2017

I spent about an hour and a half at Montrose this morning, February 27. I haven’t been birding Montrose much this winter, but I had the day off, so I thought I’d take advantage of it. I ended up with 27 species, highlighted by 2 northbound White-winged Scoters and a drake Long-tailed Duck, both seen from the end of the fishing pier as part of a brief lakewatch. I spent most of my time checking the lake and harbor, so my landbird total isn’t that impressive, but I did see a couple of Rusty Blackbirds near the Magic Hedge and an Eastern Meadowlark in the native planting area. Link to my eBird checklist below.

eBird Checklist
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S34839898

White-winged Scoters and Long-tailed Duck, December 6, 2015

Montrose Sunrise

Montrose Sunrise (click to see a larger version)

I birded Montrose for about an hour this morning, December 6. Most of that hour was spent at the end of the fishing pier looking at Lake Michigan. Except for Red-breasted Mergansers not much was moving, though I did have 3 northbound White-winged Scoters. There wasn’t much on the lake either; I guess most of the expected winter waterfowl are still to the north of us and will come down with colder weather.

When I was done looking at Lake Michigan I walked over to the harbor to look for the Long-tailed Duck, and after a little searching found it in the channel between the docks at the east end of the harbor, pretty much where it’s been since it first showed up.