Walker Nature Center
A LOOK INSIDE • Calendar 4 • Kids’ Corner 6 • Happy Birthday NH 7 • Holiday Open House 8
BRANCHING OUT
Nature Notes DECEMBER Duck, Duck, Dabble and Dive By Pam Findley
• • • • •
Wintering waterfowl populations peak. Red Foxes search for mates. December 21 – Winter Solstice – Shortest day & longest night of the year. Look for evergreen groundcovers such as Partridgeberry and Spotted Wintergreen. American Hollies have bright red berries.
JANUARY • • • •
White-throated Sparrows forage in flocks. American Robin flocks dine on holly berries. White-tailed deer shed antlers. Sweetgum trees are dropping seed pods.
FEBRUARY •
Running Cedar and Woodfern are evergreen on the forest floor. • Look for animal tracks in the snow. • Chipmunks emerge from winter dens and breed. • American Robins, grackles, and Red-winged Blackbirds migrate.
By Susan Sims
Winter brings cooling temperatures, icy weather and shorter days, so what could be so wrong with taking a chilling dip in one of Reston’s lakes? Ducks don’t mind. Winter is an ideal time to observe migrating ducks as they make their way south to warmer temperatures. Reston’s four lakes and the Sunrise Valley Wetland Park are perfect for observing our winter, web-footed visitors. The five most common ones are the Hooded Merganser, Buffleheads, Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Duck. Of course, we can always count on our duck mainstay, the Mallard, to be here year-round. With a few tips and tricks, you’ll be able to tell these species apart and amaze your friends with your ducky knowledge.
A Dab Will Do Ya
Ducks are separated into two categories: dabbling ducks and diving ducks. They have specialized behavior to help them acquire food and generally have a preferred food type.
Their feet sit far back on their bodies, making them look rather awkward on land. But those awkward looking feet are adept at propelling them through the water while searching for prey, like fish and mollusks. To identify a dabbling duck, just look for a duck rump poking out of the water. Dabbling ducks rarely dive, if at all. Instead, they siphon plant material out of the water while upside down. The ubiquitous Mallard is a dabbling duck and known for its rump to the sky feeding behavior. These adaptations help to spread out food across different species. It also provides the ducks more habitable space when sharing waterways.
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Most of the ducks visiting Reston in winter are diving ducks. Diving ducks fully submerge under the water to eat.
Winter | 19-20 | Volume Twenty Two