What were we thinking? Well, we encountered wood ducks this week in our Birding by Ear class when we strolled over to the pond at Sterne Park. Sure, there were the standard mallards with their easily recognizable quacking, but that other sound – that rising note – was that really a duck?
yes, it’s a wood duck, and there were several on the pod that day – a whole new bird sound for the group
Before going out, the class examined a number of casts of bird skulls, the discussion focusing on the different kinds of beaks that various birds have, and thus, the different things they feed on- predators with sharp, curved beaks, nut and seed feeders with powerful beaks to crack things open, and small pointed beaks for catching small insects for lunch.
Tomorrow is another birding by ear class, and we’ll see what new birds have returned for the spring.
