Sea ducks: a study in black and white

HOLDEN – Last Sunday, the bedside alarm clocks went off at 4:30 a.m. in the dark for a dozen local Maine Audubon birders. They were headed Down East for a winter count of sea ducks. The ducks arrived Down East from the Arctic to spend the winter in the water off Maine’s Down East coast. Each duck species is a study in black and white. The colors are the same, but the patterns are different.

The boat came promptly to the dock at 8:30 a.m. and so did the birders. The sea ducks were out on the water from the start, and the birders started counting them. Of the birders, two-thirds were experienced and one-third were learning how to identify the ducks. It is challenging to see, identify and count the birds. Ducks, loons, grebes and gulls were around, too.

The boat was tossed by waves. The boat and wind were noisy, the light was bright as the sun reflected from the waves, and it was hard to hear the leader as he called out the kinds of ducks. It was an adventure!

The count of ducks grew all day. Eider ducks were the most numerous – we found about 1,300. They ride the waves all winter, diving down to the bottom to take mussels and crabs with their thick, strong bills. Next in number were 30 long-tailed ducks, beautiful with their tail streamers waving in the wind. They are found farther out to sea and dive deeper than the eiders – up to 200 feet. With their smaller bills, they take smaller mollusks and crustaceans than the eiders do.

Next in number came the common goldeneyes – we counted 18. These ducks dive in shallow water, probing between the rocks for small creatures of all kinds.

Last in number were the buffleheads, of which we counted 15. They are a small and active duck, delightful to watch as they dive, then pop out of the water suddenly like a cork.

The beautiful spruce-capped islands were often a distraction from the birds. Some islands were rimmed with cliffs, others rose more gradually from the sea. The distant surf was spectacular, too. Dressed well for a cold day on the water, everyone savored the scenery and the bright sunny day, and enjoyed the arrival of the winter ducks. It was worth the early start in the dark.

Those who prefer not to go out on a boat among the cold waves, can see these same duck species from the Bar Harbor town wharf, or the Belfast town wharf, from the warmth of a car.

For information on Fields Pond Audubon Center, call 989-2591.