BRN Elective – Wildlife, 3 hours | NCEE Criteria II
All ducks do not look the same! This field trip will take us to several of the area’s better sites for identifying ducks and other waterfowl. Winter is by far the best time of the year for viewing waterfowl in the mountains, and many of the birds should be in full color in anticipation of the upcoming breeding season. Males are the easiest to identify, but the class will spend time deciphering the cryptic plumages of those look-alike females as well. We will also examine their structure, biology and improve our identification skills. Species seen will vary with the day and the location, but we hope to see some of the following: Wood Duck, Mallard, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Canada Goose, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Ring-necked Duck, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, and Ruddy Duck. Local rarities have included: Common Goldeneye, Greater Scaup, and Snow, Ross’s and Greater White-fronted Geese. Meeting location will be sent upon registration. Participants should wear weather-appropriate clothing for a day in the outdoors.
Originally from Suffolk, England, Simon Thompson has lived in North Carolina for over 20 years. Prior to moving to the US he lived in Lebanon, Kenya, Yemen, and Ghana, where his interest in birds and natural history began. In addition to traveling extensively in the United States, Simon spent six months in China studying the crane and bird of prey migration as a member of the British “China Crane Watch” expedition. As owner and operator of Ventures Birding Tours, Simon has led many birding trips all over the world.
Registration and Participation in In-Person Classes through the Arboretum:
- Registration for this class will close two days before the class start date.
- Make sure you enter your email address correctly when registering.
- Registrants will be sent a reminder email the day prior to class with the meeting location, current Safety Guidelines, and additional details.
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