Tag Archives: Black Scoter

Birding Eldorado Water Treatment Ponds

by

As you know, Ann and I recently took a five day trip to the Big Bend area.  Upon returning, we were barely unpacked, when our friends Sid and Suzanne Johnson called from Eldorado.  They had been birding the water treatment ponds a few days before and had seen a Black Scoter, Least Grebe, Common Golden-eye, and a Sora.  Holey Moley, Batman!!  All four of those are relatively rare to these parts.  That was Tuesday morning.  We had errands and chores to do so we were unable to go immediately, even though we were pretty excited!

So, keeping our eyes and fingers crossed that the birds would stay longer, we finally got away Wednesday morning.  Eldorado is only about 40 miles away from San Angelo, and easy 30 minute trip. 🙂

We met up with the Johnsons and headed to the ponds.  There were ducks of all descriptions there.  The water was fairly calm and it made for somewhat easier photography.  I say somewhat easy, because the ducks are always on the other side of the pond, but nevertheless, with my long lens I was able to come up with some images.  Alas, we found only two of the four fore-mentioned species, the Black Scoter and the Least Grebe.  Oh well, two out of four isn’t bad.

Here are those images plus a few others that I managed to photograph.

Least Grebe

Least Grebe

Black Scoter

Black Scoter

Lesser Scaup

Lesser Scaup

American Pippit

American Pippit

Wilson's Snipe

Wilson’s Snipe

Marsh Wren

Marsh Wren

Along with those birds we saw Buffleheads, Redheads, Ruddy Ducks, Northern Pintails, Ring-necked Ducks, Green-winged Teals, Northern Shovelers, Red-winged Blackbirds, and a Great Blue Heron.  I think that about covers it.

Anyway, it was much fun!  I hope to get back down there soon and look for those that we missed. 🙂

Flight of the Cattle Egret

by

Yesterday Ann and I made a return trip to the water treatment ponds down at Eldorado, Texas.  Our purpose was to try to get a look at the Black Scoter that was seen there for a few days.  This time we did get a chance to see it.  But as we watched, and as I was preparing to photograph it, it flew off.  Since the ponds cover several acres, and there are five seperate areas we didn’t see it again amidst the hundred of duck species that were there.  So a photograph will have to wait for another time.  It was a lifer for both Ann and I.

However, the juvenile Cattle Egret was still there.  I got a few images of it feeding in the reeds, but my prize was this photo of it in flight.

Cattle Egret in flight

Esposure was with my Canon 7D with a Canon 100-400mm lens.  1/500 sec. @ f8, ISO 250.  Spot metering and aperture priority.

We also saw a Greater Roadrunner running with a captured Red-winged Blackbird in it’s beak.  No photo.  Running too fast for me.  Total species for the two hours again was 27.

  • Ruddy Duck
  • Black Scoter
  • Bufflehead
  • Northern Shoveler
  • Red-winged Blackbird
  • Eastern Phoebe
  • Greater Yellowlegs
  • American Coot
  • Lesser Scaup
  • Gadwall
  • Ring-necked Duck
  • Eared Grebe
  • Redhead
  • Greater Roadrunner
  • Pied-billed Grebe
  • Canvasback
  • Northern Pintail
  • Wilson’s Snipe
  • Meadowlark
  • Egyptian Goose
  • Cattle Egret
  • Mockingbird
  • Great Blue Heron
  • Savannah Sparrow
  • Vermilion Flycatcher
  • Rock Wren
  • Song Sparrow

We also saw one that we can’t identify.  Here are two images of it.  If there are any expert birders out there, tell me what you think.

I hope you enjoyed the photos.  Click on any of them for an enlargement.

Big News from Eldorado Ponds

by

Black Scoter, Barnegat Inlet N.J.

Image via Wikipedia

We got an e-mail from Suaanne Johnson in Eldorado last evening.  It seems another rarity was seen there at the water treatment ponds.  Suzanne and her husband, Sid, were birding there and spotted a Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra).  They got pictures and had the sighting verified with the proper authorities.  The Black Scoter (male pictured above) is normally seen only on the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines.  So the female that they saw apparently was lost.

Ann and I drove down there this morning, but we weren’t able to see it.  I probably took off and got back on course to it’s normal habitat.

Wilson's Snipe

But while we were there, we saw this Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata) in the weeds along the shorline of one of the ponds.  Then further along this juvenile Cattle Egret  (Bubulcus ibis) appeared.  He looked like he lost his momma, but he was large enough to fly, as he did shortly after I took this photo.

juvenile Cattle Egret

Soe even though the Black Scoter eluded us, I feel satisfied that I got the above photographs.  Our total birding species count was 23.  We were there for only two hours.  Following is the list:

The EXIF data was identical for both images except for the ISO, which was 100 for the egret and 640 for the snipe.  Otherwise the camera was my Canon 7D, Canon 100-400mm lens, 1/640 sec. @f7.1.  Spot metering with aperture priority.  Of course, the image of the Black Scoter is not mine.

Click on any photo to see an enlargement.  Have a great weekend. 🙂