{"id":12207,"date":"2019-01-07T06:30:17","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T11:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=12207"},"modified":"2019-01-04T12:53:12","modified_gmt":"2019-01-04T17:53:12","slug":"take-5-winter-ducks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-winter-ducks\/","title":{"rendered":"Take 5: Winter Ducks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Winter is a wonderful time to see some colorful characters around your neighborhood\u2014namely wintering waterfowl<\/a>. In late fall and winter, the majority of waterfowl species return to wearing their bright and more colorful breeding plumages and with more than 25 species of ducks, geese, and swans that regularly spend the winter in Massachusetts, you’ll have lots to add to your birding list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five species of ducks you may spot hanging around lakes, ponds, rivers, and ocean-side viewpoints, depending on their preferred habitat. Learn more about wintering waterfowl<\/a> in the winter issue of Explore<\/em> member magazine and find an expert naturalist-led winter birding trip<\/a> hosted by a wildlife sanctuary near you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these photos were submitted to our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors<\/a> photo contest. Check out the recently-announced winners<\/a> of the 2018 contest today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Harlequin
Harlequin Duck \u00a9 Carol Duffy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Red-breasted
Red-breasted Merganser \u00a9 David Peller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Ring-necked
Ring-necked Duck \u00a9 Lea Fiega<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Common
Common Eider \u00a9 David Sheehy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Northern
Northern Pintail \u00a9 Roger Debenham<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winter is a wonderful time to see some colorful characters around your neighborhood\u2014namely wintering waterfowl. In late fall and winter, the majority of waterfowl species return to wearing their bright and more colorful breeding plumages and with more than 25 species of ducks, geese, and swans that regularly spend the winter in Massachusetts, you’ll have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":12210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[158],"tags":[214,83,84,282,144,296],"class_list":["post-12207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-take-5","tag-ducks","tag-photo-contest","tag-photography","tag-waterfowl","tag-winter","tag-winter-birds"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/01\/2982Carol_Duffy17397.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-3aT","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11751,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-migrating-waterfowl\/","url_meta":{"origin":12207,"position":0},"title":"Take 5: Migrating Waterfowl","author":"Ryan D.","date":"October 15, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Fall is a great time to see a\u00a0variety of waterfowl as they pass through Massachusetts on their way to their wintering grounds. Brant, Surf and White-winged Scoters, and Red-breasted Mergansers are best viewed along the sea coast, while Northern Pintails, Green-winged Teal, and Ring-necked Ducks are more likely to be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Green-winged Teal \u00a9 Matt Filosa","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/3417Matt_Filosa16547.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/3417Matt_Filosa16547.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/3417Matt_Filosa16547.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/10\/3417Matt_Filosa16547.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2092,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/great-bird-migration-spots\/","url_meta":{"origin":12207,"position":1},"title":"Great Bird Migration Spots","author":"Hillary T.","date":"April 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s the event that bird watchers around the state have been waiting for: spring migration, the time of year when birds leave their winter grounds and head north. Typically, spring migration in Massachusetts lasts from early March to early June, with the peak usually falling sometime around Mother\u2019s Day for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2013\/04\/2-warbler-2-IMG_7245_ni_pwp.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4406,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/odd-ducks\/","url_meta":{"origin":12207,"position":2},"title":"Odd Ducks","author":"Rosemary","date":"December 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Some of nature\u2019s most colorful waterfowl visit our lakes, rivers, and shores during the colder months. Here are five stylish ducks to watch out for. Northern shoveler Anas clypeata One glance at this duck\u2019s enormous spatula-shaped bill \u2014used for straining prey from the water\u2014and you\u2019ll see why people call it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Northern shoveler \u00a9 Kristin Foresto","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/11\/shoveler-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7122,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-wood-ducks\/","url_meta":{"origin":12207,"position":3},"title":"Take 5: Wood Ducks","author":"Rosemary","date":"March 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The winter landscape may not offer the widest spectrum of colors, so seeing a jewel-tone wood duck is always a welcome sight.\u00a0Some of these birds have hung around in Massachusetts all winter, and\u00a0others are just now returning to the state\u00a0from warmer places. Unlike most of our waterfowl, the aptly named\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/02\/Larry-Warfield-2013.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/02\/Larry-Warfield-2013.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/02\/Larry-Warfield-2013.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1154,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/birding-after-migration\/","url_meta":{"origin":12207,"position":4},"title":"Birding After Migration","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"November 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"We have turned the seasonal corner. The swallows are gone, the egrets have fled, and \u00a0shorebirds and warblers have pushed their way south. You may well ask, \u201cWhat do we do we look for now?\u201d In many ways, Massachusetts is perfectly suited for winter birding, thanks in part to our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/11\/purple-sandpiper_Richard-Johnson-and-Mass-Audubon.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11917,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-bottoms-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":12207,"position":5},"title":"Take 5: Bottoms Up!","author":"Ryan D.","date":"November 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Waterfowl exhibit a whole host of different feeding behaviors, like diving, grazing, or foraging. The most common, however (or at least the most commonly recognized) is \"dabbling\" or \"tipping\". Dabbling ducks like the Mallards pictured below will simply \"tip up\" in shallow water\u00a0to forage on the aquatic plants along the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\u00a9 Glenn Rifkin","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/1456GlennRifkin4943_1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/1456GlennRifkin4943_1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/1456GlennRifkin4943_1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/1456GlennRifkin4943_1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12207"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12207\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12220,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12207\/revisions\/12220"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}