bucephala (ox-headed) albeola (white)
Sunday, February 24, 1980 — 2:30 pm
Wilmette, Illinois — Gillson Park — Lake Michigan
A female Bufflehead was swimming and diving in the harbor.
Seeing it wasn’t nearly as exciting as seeing my first males, about a month later, at Northwestern University, just a mile or so down the lake.
chen (goose) caerulescens (bluish)
Saturday, February 23, 1980 — 4:15 pm
Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center
I was sitting in the blind on Crabtree Lake watching the ducks and geese when I heard the Snow Goose calling. I spotted it as it glided down into the small area of open water in front of the blind. It swam around among the ducks. A few weeks later, four blue-phase Snow Geese were sitting on the ice on Crabtree Lake.
aythya (seabird) americana (of America)
Saturday, February 23, 1980 — 4:00 pm
Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center
The Redheads were swimming and diving in Crabtree Lake in the open area in front of the blind.
aythya (seabird) valisineria (wild celery)
Saturday, February 23, 1980 — 9:00 am
Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center
A lone female Canvasback was swimming sedately around in the small patch of open water in front of the blind. Once in a while, it would dive under the water for a short time.
About a month later, I saw my first male swimming in Gillson Park harbor in Wilmette.
bucephala (ox-headed) clangula (noise)
Saturday, February 23, 1980 — 8:45 am
Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center
In the winter, in the old days, two small areas of Crabtree Lake were kept open by air pumps. These small circles of water would be packed with Canada Geese and Mallards, with lesser numbers of other birds usually included.
I sat in the blind for a while and watched the action. Five Common Goldeneyes were swimming with the other birds, occasionally diving under the surface for ten seconds or so.
Later in the day, I returned to the blind. Two more males had joined the group. All three males were performing courtship rituals. They would hunker down low on the water then throw their heads back with their bills pointed straight up. One male was chasing another, swimming with its head under water and just its back above the surface. Occasionally one would take off, run across the water, fly a short distance and land, skiing across the surface.
