Post by James Rhea on May 26, 2012 20:37:54 GMT -7
Non-native ducks give Marion bird watchers a thrill
Black Bellied Whistling Tree Ducks seem to enjoy a light rain shower while swimming in a pond at Hawksbill Farm on County Highway 225A, north of Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. Mary Ellen Woelfel said that she has seen as many as 150 of the unusual ducks in and around her pond for the past 3 years. Woelfel is convinced that her ducks escaped from the Miami Zoo during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and have made their way to certain parts of Florida. Woelfel said that the migratory ducks are native to Louisana, south Texas and parts of Arizona. (Star-Banner Photo/Bruce Ackerman)
In a twittering, calling symphony, black bellied whistling tree ducks descend into the trees and water at Hawksbill Farm in northwest Marion County.
The farm is owned by John and Mary Ellen Woelfel. John, a retired captain with Delta Airlines Inc., said the birds are "almost cartoonish" with their longish pink legs, red bills and extended necks.
The species is easy to distinguish as they sometimes stand on one leg along the water's edge, rippling their folded wings.
The ducks are recent migrants to Marion County. The unusual fowl are listed on Cornell's Ornithology website as being more commonly found in Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, and Central and South America. Field observation documents from the Florida Ornithological Society indicate sightings only within the last 10 years in this area.
This spring's migration marked the flock's third visit to the horse farm. Mary Ellen Woelfel, a retired flight attendant with Delta, said the flock has grown from three ducks to about 150 this year.
Rex Rowan, author of "A Birdwatcher's Guide to Alachua County, Florida," said they have been spotted around Boardman, Orange Lake, McIntosh and Paynes Prairie.
The whistling ducks have be seen in Ocala "for about a year now at the northwest end of Tuscawilla Pond," said Carolyn Retey, field guide director for the Marion Audubon Society.
"(This duck) is a relatively new phenomenon ... definitely a newsworthy topic," said Bubba Scales, the owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Gainesville.
Mary Ellen Woelfel described some of the ducks' odd movements.
Read more
www.ocala.com/article/20120526/ARTICLES/120529748?Title=Non-native-ducks-give-Marion-bird-watchers-a-thrill
Black Bellied Whistling Tree Ducks seem to enjoy a light rain shower while swimming in a pond at Hawksbill Farm on County Highway 225A, north of Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. Mary Ellen Woelfel said that she has seen as many as 150 of the unusual ducks in and around her pond for the past 3 years. Woelfel is convinced that her ducks escaped from the Miami Zoo during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and have made their way to certain parts of Florida. Woelfel said that the migratory ducks are native to Louisana, south Texas and parts of Arizona. (Star-Banner Photo/Bruce Ackerman)
In a twittering, calling symphony, black bellied whistling tree ducks descend into the trees and water at Hawksbill Farm in northwest Marion County.
The farm is owned by John and Mary Ellen Woelfel. John, a retired captain with Delta Airlines Inc., said the birds are "almost cartoonish" with their longish pink legs, red bills and extended necks.
The species is easy to distinguish as they sometimes stand on one leg along the water's edge, rippling their folded wings.
The ducks are recent migrants to Marion County. The unusual fowl are listed on Cornell's Ornithology website as being more commonly found in Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, and Central and South America. Field observation documents from the Florida Ornithological Society indicate sightings only within the last 10 years in this area.
This spring's migration marked the flock's third visit to the horse farm. Mary Ellen Woelfel, a retired flight attendant with Delta, said the flock has grown from three ducks to about 150 this year.
Rex Rowan, author of "A Birdwatcher's Guide to Alachua County, Florida," said they have been spotted around Boardman, Orange Lake, McIntosh and Paynes Prairie.
The whistling ducks have be seen in Ocala "for about a year now at the northwest end of Tuscawilla Pond," said Carolyn Retey, field guide director for the Marion Audubon Society.
"(This duck) is a relatively new phenomenon ... definitely a newsworthy topic," said Bubba Scales, the owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Gainesville.
Mary Ellen Woelfel described some of the ducks' odd movements.
Read more
www.ocala.com/article/20120526/ARTICLES/120529748?Title=Non-native-ducks-give-Marion-bird-watchers-a-thrill