CFO workshop: "Duck Music," Sat., Mar. 28

[Ted Floyd]

"If it quacks like a duck..."

Funny thing is, most ducks don't quack. Case in point: These Green-winged Teal earlier this winter at Walden Ponds, Boulder County--

http://www.xeno-canto.org/211485

Speaking of Walden Ponds, that's where we'll be on Saturday, March 28, for CFO's "Duck Music" field workshop. This exercise in "earbirding" will acquaint us with all the non-quacks proclaimed by many of Colorado's commoner duck species. We'll listen for the piping of Green-winged Teal, the squealing of American Wigeons, the buzzing of Common Goldeneyes, the woofing of Common Mergansers, and, if we're lucky, the soft wailing choruses of drake Redheads.

We'll also talk about making recordings (you can do it with your smartphone), analyzing them on your computer, and uploading them to the internet. Yes, there will be a real-time, in-the-field demonstration; do we live in amazing times, or what? And we'll learn a bit about duck biology: "why" ducks vocalize, and how it all relates to their surprising and sometimes counterintuitive breeding biology.

This workshop, sponsored by Colorado Field Ornithologists, is free and open to the public. The workshop is suitable for all persons of all skill levels and interest levels. It's also suitable for persons with moderate hearing loss related to age, sex (but not gender), having fair skin, and listening to bad music. Fortunately, most ducks' vocalizations are loud and relatively low-pitched. And we can get pretty close to the ducks at Walden Ponds. This isn't like listening to 20-µPa, 7-kHz, 40-msec flight calls of Chipping Sparrows. We'll hear stuff, promise.

There are two meeting times. Choose one. If you seek the truly magical experience of listening in the (semi) darkness (nautical twilight begins at 5:53 am. on Mar. 28), arrive at Cottonwood Marsh for a no-nonsense, prompt 6am start time. The main outing gets under way at 7am, also at Cottonwood Marsh. Probably, we'll spend all our time at the Walden/Sawhill complex, with its many ponds and ducks. But if conditions (and scouting reports) warrant, we might carpool elsewhere. We'll wrap up by noon.

Dress for the weather (duh). Bring water and a snack. Bring binocs, scope, and smartphone--if you have 'em. But not necessary. Bring your sense of wonder. Bring lavish gifts for the leader.

RSVP not required. Just show up. Remember: prompt 6am departure or leisurely 7am assembly, both at Cottonwood Marsh. Leader is Yours Truly, Ted Floyd. Questions: Email me at tedfloyd57 "at" hotmail "dot" com. Please use a subject line likely to attract my attention.

Looking forward to learning and sharing with many of you on the 28th!

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado

[Ted Floyd]

Hey, everybody. Looks like we can expect great weather for this outing, with temps perhaps pushing 70 by the time we wrap up. But it will be cool in the morning, so dress in layers.

Hannah and Andrew and I were out at the Walden/Sawhill complex, Boulder Co., briefly yesterday, Wed., March 25, in the snow, and we found 14 species of ducks. And we didn't get to all the ponds. Ducks included Cinnamon Teal, Northern Pintail, and Wood Duck. Other birds: Killdeer everywhere, an Osprey migrating north, a Wilson's Snipe and a Greater Yellowlegs, a Say's Phoebe, and an early Lincoln's Sparrow.

See you Saturday! (Trip details below.)

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado