Dani
Well-known member
Well, Steve and I got the call from Jamie (one of our waterfowl biologists with FWC) and we were headed out to meet him at Goodwin. Time for our hopefully annual duck banding palooza. Last year the targets were wood ducks. This year it was Mottled Ducks that we were going to band.
We met Jamie at the check in station, sprayed and sprayed and sprayed with bug spray and headed out to go run some shallow impoundments and snatch mottled ducks off the water.
Unfortunately it's not the best situation to actually get pictures as we're scooping birds off the water, but it is fuuuuun. Wind in our faces from the air boat, full moon night, air boat cruising around, you hanging half off the boat getting soaked as you try to catch the Mottled Ducks which prove themselves to be diving masters. We've gotten a pretty good system going...either I or Steve will be snatching and then handing the snatched ducks to the other, who then gets to drop them in the chute to the big pen.
The box-a-ducks at the end of the evening
Once we have collected from the impoundments as thoroughly as possible, we find a spot in the marsh and band. Luckily the skeeters weren't as fierce as expected. Jamie does the banding and checking out of the ducks, I play record keeper and Steve takes pictures. Pretty good system....
We have a problem here in FL with mallards breeding with mottled ducks creating those nasty hybrids. So, in addition to checking sex, molt or not, and age the mottled ducks all get checked for hybrid status or not.
Once they've passed the test, they get a pretty piece of jewelry.
We did have a chance for a couple of photo ops with some of the guests of honor:
Lemme goooooooo
Once the jewelry has been given, pictures taken of a few, the ducks are then let go. Normally we just open our hands and they're in a hurry to get out of there. On occassion though, they'll stick around and see what's going on.
This year, was a really special trip. Last year we hoped to see some Black Bellied Whistling Ducks. Didn't happen. This year we hoped for the same thing. And lordy did it happen. We found a pair, and then after looking closer we realized there were 18 itty bitties to go with that pair!
That was just too freaking cool.
Later though, we found another BB adult and then looking closer we found some bout 3/4 grown babies. What was really neat was that apparently the momma had adopted a mottled duck baby that needed fostering.
They were all big enough to get some jewelry, so there are now five BBs out there with some bands.....
My how pretty you are
Steve is a sucker for their pretty pink legged selves so had a great time have sweet nothings whispered in his ear...
And one of the babies decided to just chill out in my arms after being cuddled by Steve
Once the Momma and all the babies were banded, it was time for the release of the babies....they went first and then momma
We collected 56 birds that night and 6 of them were already banded, one of the bands with a lot of wear on it.
What a blast that night was!!! Definitely one of the highlights of my summer
Danibeth
We met Jamie at the check in station, sprayed and sprayed and sprayed with bug spray and headed out to go run some shallow impoundments and snatch mottled ducks off the water.
Unfortunately it's not the best situation to actually get pictures as we're scooping birds off the water, but it is fuuuuun. Wind in our faces from the air boat, full moon night, air boat cruising around, you hanging half off the boat getting soaked as you try to catch the Mottled Ducks which prove themselves to be diving masters. We've gotten a pretty good system going...either I or Steve will be snatching and then handing the snatched ducks to the other, who then gets to drop them in the chute to the big pen.
The box-a-ducks at the end of the evening
Once we have collected from the impoundments as thoroughly as possible, we find a spot in the marsh and band. Luckily the skeeters weren't as fierce as expected. Jamie does the banding and checking out of the ducks, I play record keeper and Steve takes pictures. Pretty good system....
We have a problem here in FL with mallards breeding with mottled ducks creating those nasty hybrids. So, in addition to checking sex, molt or not, and age the mottled ducks all get checked for hybrid status or not.
Once they've passed the test, they get a pretty piece of jewelry.
We did have a chance for a couple of photo ops with some of the guests of honor:
Lemme goooooooo
Once the jewelry has been given, pictures taken of a few, the ducks are then let go. Normally we just open our hands and they're in a hurry to get out of there. On occassion though, they'll stick around and see what's going on.
This year, was a really special trip. Last year we hoped to see some Black Bellied Whistling Ducks. Didn't happen. This year we hoped for the same thing. And lordy did it happen. We found a pair, and then after looking closer we realized there were 18 itty bitties to go with that pair!
That was just too freaking cool.
Later though, we found another BB adult and then looking closer we found some bout 3/4 grown babies. What was really neat was that apparently the momma had adopted a mottled duck baby that needed fostering.
They were all big enough to get some jewelry, so there are now five BBs out there with some bands.....
My how pretty you are
Steve is a sucker for their pretty pink legged selves so had a great time have sweet nothings whispered in his ear...
And one of the babies decided to just chill out in my arms after being cuddled by Steve
Once the Momma and all the babies were banded, it was time for the release of the babies....they went first and then momma
We collected 56 birds that night and 6 of them were already banded, one of the bands with a lot of wear on it.
What a blast that night was!!! Definitely one of the highlights of my summer
Danibeth
