October 24, 2024

The Mystery of the Waterfowl.

This morning, at sunrise, we analyze the birds.

48 comments:

Aggie said...

Maybe they're cootlets, i.e., juvenile coots. Nice.

RCOCEAN II said...

You can tell they're not old coots because there are no Trump hats. Anyway, this seems like a good reason to bring along some binoclulars. And what was boat doing so early in the AM?

ga6 said...

Now analysis the mental processes of the idiot in the boat...cheese head personified.

Original Mike said...

Yes, a pair of compact binoculars would aid in understanding what you're looking at.

Original Mike said...

I assume the boat is a fisherman.

Leland said...

"Are you going to feed us? Nope. Ok, we will swim over this way now."

Oh, you mean the fowl in the back.

Leland said...

Maybe the couple wanted some time alone to do what couples do.

And then that asshole in the motorboat blasted by disturbing their quiet moment.

Aggie said...

You might consider downloading the Merlin app - you can turn your microphone on and it will collect all of the ambient birdsong, which Merlin will then identify for you. Pretty cool.

Clark said...

What a restful two minutes that was! The glow on the horizon; the reflected color in the calm water; your quiet musings. Just what I needed for a break in a stressful morning. I am now going to go out and throw the orange ball for my lab, Molly.

Curious George said...

Fishing. Early morning is prime time.

Rabel said...

I'm not seeing what the boater did wrong. Yet he gets called an idiot and an asshole.

He waved.

Inga said...

I don’t live in the city of Waukesha, but I do live in the county of Waukesha and I’m so happy to hear the former Republican, now Independent Mayor of the city of Waukesha just endorsed Kamala Harris.

Leland said...

Mystery of the catfished.

Howard said...

Loons, perhaps?

Original Mike said...

Can't we have a quiet thread about ducks? Just one, please?

Heartless Aztec said...

Semi-tame waterfowl came with our property along the St Johns River. Here's Mallory a female wood-fowl on or patio and at our back door for some treats and official duck food. https://photos.app.goo.gl/j1iLbZL8SXMgWeDS7

Eric Stahlfeld said...

Looks like the larger flock has birds which dive below the surface; coots do not do that. Looking at reports on eBird.org I see a report of 14 Redhead from the 22nd at University Bay, and reports of Green-winged Teal (48), Am Wigeon (18), Blue-winged Teal (14) and Canvasback (28) at other lakes in Dane County within the past few days. Only the Redhead and Canvasback are divers. That might help narrow down the possibilities.

n.n said...
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Heartless Aztec said...

Addendum: hope that Thelonious the big grey hawk leaves her alone. She is constantly on the look out for him.

n.n said...

Foul play where the fowl lay at the water way.

mccullough said...

Under the October sunrise the water mirrors a still sky

mccullough said...

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore

mccullough said...
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Original Mike said...

Cool.

Lem Vibe Bandit said...

So far everybody with some influence, as well as the mayor news outlets are staying clear of some salacious, October surprise anti-Trump story. Knowing what AI can do, people appear to be on guard.

The Wall Street Journal: Former President Donald Trump is continuing his podcast blitz with an appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” The interview will take place on Friday at Rogan’s studio in Austin, Texas, but it isn’t clear when the episode will be released to the public.

Lem Vibe Bandit said...
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Lem Vibe Bandit said...

If the Didi tapes had Donald on video, it would have been out by now. Which BTW, could have influence the timing of the raids... now that I think about it.

Lucien said...

I’m hearing that the Dems’ ads against Jill Stein are the only ads they’ve ever run against a third party candidate. Did they really not run negative ads against Ross Perot, or is their theory that he was an “Independent” candidate, not a “Third Party” candidate?

Lem Vibe Bandit said...

I believe the theory held that Perot would take votes away from Bush the father. He was no threat to the dems.

tim in vermont said...

Matt Taibbi's article said that on of Harris's strategies is to go after the genuine left, destroy their candidates, and try to pick off wavering Republicans. Had they let the actual primaries play out, they would be coasting to an RFK Jr landslide right now, but you know, Joe Biden's personal feelings were too important.

I love that Joe Biden is all but history, but I worry that he is going to set WWIII in motion before he leaves.

tim in vermont said...
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Rusty said...

yayup. Thems coots.

Lem Vibe Bandit said...

Catherine Liu videos, in lieu of possible stories of women remembering Trump (allegedly) molesting them when they were minors.

Original Mike said...

Do coots dive?

Original Mike said...

"Had they let the actual primaries play out, they would be coasting to an RFK Jr landslide right now, …"

The oligarchs running the democrat party have no interest (to put it mildly) in an RFK presidency.

Roadkill711 said...

Old waterfowler here. Yes, those are coots.
- Coots dive for food
- Coots normally raft up in large gaggles.
- Coots fly low to the water, with wingtips sometimes touching the surface.
- Ducks don’t mingle with coots.
- Ducks fly up and away when alarmed, rarely if ever landing again in the same area

Original Mike said...

Thanks!

Ann Althouse said...

Thanks, Eric and Roadkill711.

But you two disagree about coots diving.

rehajm said...

I find that a duck’s opinion of me is very much influenced over whether or not I have bread… -Mitch Hedberg (He was a comedian…)

tim in vermont said...

Here is a video of some coots shot in better light, and I am pretty sure that RK711 is correct.

https://youtube.com/shorts/p6I4PNRKPmE?si=FbBSVuiACjk2Sh8O

policraticus said...

Bufflehead Ducks, smaller, black and white, tend to form rafts/congregations. Fun birds to watch because they spend a fair amount of time quarreling, jockeying for what they think is better position. They are diver ducks, unlike the Mallards who are dabbling ducks. Don't generally join mixed flocks. Definitely fun to shoot, they are fast, tend to fly low and do a lot of turning. Don't taste great, but if you can bag enough of them they make a decent addition to gumbo.

Roadkill711 said...

Thanks, Ann. I’ve spent many hundreds of hours in duck blinds, often annoyed by rafts of coots that swim near or into my decoy spreads. eBird.org notwithstanding, from my direct observations, coots dive for food.

Rusty said...

Yes sir.

Rusty said...

Breast them out. Wash and dry the breast meat and let them soak in milk overnight before you cook them. Otherwise they taste muddy.

BUMBLE BEE said...

What Rusty said!

William50 said...

Eric Stahlfeld said...

Looks like the larger flock has birds which dive below the surface; coots do not do that.
--------------------------------
Actually they do. Per Audubon field guide,

Feeding Behavior
Wide variety of foraging methods -- dabbles at surface of water, upends in shallows, dives underwater (propelled by feet), grazes on land. Also steals food from various ducks.

Josephbleau said...

Yes fish won’t eat until they get very hungry over nite. too much risk.

Rusty said...

I'm taking it easy this duck season. No more getting out at 4 AM to set up. Pick me up at the ramp around 10. I need my sleep.