Sunday, November 13, 2016,
This rather odd looking duck with the ginormous bill is called a Northern Shoveler. It gets its name from that spectacular beak. That bill works as a sieve to filter plants, seeds, and small crustaceans from the water. That’s a pretty cool adaptation.
I took this pic yesterday during a Four Harbors Audubon walk at Frank Melville Memorial Park in Setauket. It’s a great park. There are many species that overwinter here. Lots of ducks that we don’t get to see during the summer. You might want to check it out. JK
Nice photo. In many past winters, I have seen many wintering ducks at Stump pond, Blydenburgh park in Smithtown. You might want to check it out for pintails, mergansers, etc.
Thanks Bill. If I recall correctly, you were there the first time I visited Stump Pond. JK