By By GREG KATSKI
Community Editor
While many people are cooped up at home this time of year, waterfowl find eastern North Carolina to be a winter wonderland, according to environmental educator Linda Boyer with the N.C. Estuarium.
During a waterfowl-identification program at the Estuarium on Thursday afternoon, Boyer said bird-watching in the region is a good cure for the common cabin fever.
Boyer told a crowd of about 20 avid bird-watchers that the best way to learn how to identify waterfowl is to “get out there and look.”
“The more time you spend, the better you’ll get,” she said.
Boyer offered some simple, helpful tips for identifying birds common to the region.
She said the first thing that any bird-watcher needs to do is get a certified field guide and “the best pair of binoculars you can afford.”
Before getting out in the field, put on some dark clothes that blend in with the environment and make sure the wind and water are calm enough for birds to relax and feed. Ducks and geese feed early, midday and during the evening, according to Boyer, making midmorning and midafternoon slow periods for bird-watching. Identifying areas with strong food sources, such as corn fields and catfish farms, also is important, she said.
“That’s why (Lake) Mattamuskeet is so good for bird-watching,” Boyer said.
She said that people serious about bird-watching should consider joining the Carolina Bird Club, which provides an Internet e-mail service that can be subscribed to at majordomo@duke.edu.
“It’s a very good source,” she said.
Boyer said that birds can be more easily identified by looking at specific physical traits, including size, shape, legs, beak, tail, wings, eyes, feet, voice, color, gender and markings. She said a bird’s flight pattern also is crucial in the identification process.
“Duck hunters can tell how they fly in,” Boyer said.
Boyer discussed some birds common to the area in the winter. She grouped the birds into several categories, including dabbling ducks, diving ducks, Mergansers and stifftails.
Dabbling ducks, or puddle ducks, are common game birds. These types of waterfowl hang out close to the shore and are comfortable walking on land, Boyer said. She called them good “table ducks,” partially because they can be found in creeks, ponds, lakes and marshes that are easily accessible by hunters.
Diving ducks, including sea and bay ducks, like larger areas of water. They paddle to the floor of waterways to feed.
Stifftails include the common ruddy duck, which can be found in abundance at Lake Mattamuskeet in winter.
Other than Lake Mattamuskeet, Boyer said, other good places to see waterfowl include Lake Phelps, the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in Scotland Neck and during ferry trips.