dutchie
12-03-2008, 11:28 PM
So being a new waterfowler myself, I am getting fairly good at ID'ing birds in flight but there is always lots of room to learn from the experianced hunters.
Last weekend I went to the Ladner Marsh with Storm from HBC and I found it amazing how he was able to look at birds over 200yds away and know exactly what kind of birds they were by thier wing speed, formations, and size, and when close enough the silloettes.
Here are my observations, please correct me if I am wrong and add birds that I do not mention.
Mallard: medium to fast wing beat, largest duck, not vocal when in the air, and the sound the sings make is a sharp "whoosh".When they are traveling the travel in a "V", when shooting, I lead them about 12-18 inches at 30yds
Teal: Very fast wing beat, they dart and do acrobatics in the air, smallest of the ducks, vary rare to see solo pilots, usually fly in flocks of 15-40. They are not extreamly vocal, but when you hear them they "peep".When traveling their is no distinct flight pattern. when shooting, I lead them approx 4 feet at 30yds
American Widgon: Wing beat slightly faster then mallard, medium size duck, very vocal in the air, they make a whistling "dooo-dee-doo", they fly in no pirticular fashion other then a "ball" and are always changing positions. Solo pilots are common but they like to fly in large groups, Most flocks are around 15-50 birds. when one duck commits, they all tend to commit. when shooting, I lead approx 12-18 inches at 30 yds
Snow Geese: Loose "V" formation and always moving around in the "V", You can hear them from miles away, have great vision, compleatly white , and have a silver silloette in the horison. sound very similar to a Canada goose, very very easy to identify. Fly in large numbers, about the same size as a Lesser Canada Goose
Swan: Very large, long neck, will usually be flying in pairs or even numbers (the only bird to mate for life), they sound like a delinquent Goose, Slow honk and deep, fly alot lower then any other bird on a regular basis. if in large numbers they fly a ridgid "V"
Well that is alot of what I have picked up, there are a few more birds that I am not 100% sure so I will let the very experianced hunters tell us about
Dutchie
Last weekend I went to the Ladner Marsh with Storm from HBC and I found it amazing how he was able to look at birds over 200yds away and know exactly what kind of birds they were by thier wing speed, formations, and size, and when close enough the silloettes.
Here are my observations, please correct me if I am wrong and add birds that I do not mention.
Mallard: medium to fast wing beat, largest duck, not vocal when in the air, and the sound the sings make is a sharp "whoosh".When they are traveling the travel in a "V", when shooting, I lead them about 12-18 inches at 30yds
Teal: Very fast wing beat, they dart and do acrobatics in the air, smallest of the ducks, vary rare to see solo pilots, usually fly in flocks of 15-40. They are not extreamly vocal, but when you hear them they "peep".When traveling their is no distinct flight pattern. when shooting, I lead them approx 4 feet at 30yds
American Widgon: Wing beat slightly faster then mallard, medium size duck, very vocal in the air, they make a whistling "dooo-dee-doo", they fly in no pirticular fashion other then a "ball" and are always changing positions. Solo pilots are common but they like to fly in large groups, Most flocks are around 15-50 birds. when one duck commits, they all tend to commit. when shooting, I lead approx 12-18 inches at 30 yds
Snow Geese: Loose "V" formation and always moving around in the "V", You can hear them from miles away, have great vision, compleatly white , and have a silver silloette in the horison. sound very similar to a Canada goose, very very easy to identify. Fly in large numbers, about the same size as a Lesser Canada Goose
Swan: Very large, long neck, will usually be flying in pairs or even numbers (the only bird to mate for life), they sound like a delinquent Goose, Slow honk and deep, fly alot lower then any other bird on a regular basis. if in large numbers they fly a ridgid "V"
Well that is alot of what I have picked up, there are a few more birds that I am not 100% sure so I will let the very experianced hunters tell us about
Dutchie