An interesting article on the Sea Ducks of Chesapeake Bay. With the Ospreys gone (or nearly gone, I didn't see any today or on the Eastern Shore trip), the Sea Ducks are due to arrive sometime soon. After all, the Eagles have to eat something, if they can't steal from the Ospreys.
Ducks at Sea
When most people think of ducks, their minds turn to mallards, those quacking residents of ponds across the United States. But the Chesapeake Bay is home to many more species of ducks. The oddest may be the sea ducks. These birds — which include long-tailed ducks, black scoters, white-winged scoters, and others — fly south to the Bay from Canada every winter. They’re elusive, sticking to the estuary’s deeper waters, and also threatened, scientists say. Research suggests that 13 out of the 15 species of sea ducks that live in North America are declining. At the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, scientists are following the struggles of these birds on the Chesapeake. In many cases, the success or failure of sea ducks may be tied to the fate of oyster reefs. Daniel Strain brings us more in this podcast.
No comments:
Post a Comment