Apologies in advance if this is already known, but while I was watching these extraordinary birds today, a young woman came by and wanted to know more about them. In the course of our discussion, she revealed that she had been living in the neighborhood since 2021, and that year, and every year since, the Whistling Ducks (three of them, presumably the same every year) have showed up sometime in late spring, stayed for the summer, then disappeared. Maybe someone else who lives in the neighborhood or regularly birds this spot could/would contradict this, but interestingly, that's the same year a much larger group began showing up and summering at a somewhat similiar but more residential & manicured little pond near Bombay Hook. Anyway, if true, I guess they don't need the young Cormorant who seems to be their constant companion as a tour guide after all. Tom de Boor Northford, CT

Ask her for proof. Mark Szantyr Storrs, CT > On Jul 15, 2024, at 12:46 AM, Tom de Boor via CTBirds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > > Apologies in advance if this is already known, but while I was watching > these extraordinary birds today, a young woman came by and wanted to know > more about them. In the course of our discussion, she revealed that she had > been living in the neighborhood since 2021, and that year, and every year > since, the Whistling Ducks (three of them, presumably the same every year) > have showed up sometime in late spring, stayed for the summer, then > disappeared. > > Maybe someone else who lives in the neighborhood or regularly birds this > spot could/would contradict this, but interestingly, that's the same year a > much larger group began showing up and summering at a somewhat similiar but > more residential & manicured little pond near Bombay Hook. > > Anyway, if true, I guess they don't need the young Cormorant who seems to > be their constant companion as a tour guide after all. > > Tom de Boor > Northford, CT > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org > > CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing birders together statewide. Please support COA: https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ > > CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For list rules and subscription information visit: https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/

If I see her there again, I will. Or ask anyone else I see. On Friday, I was talking with a guy from the neighborhood whose dad, he said, was an avid birder and bird photographer who had just passed away earlier this month. If I see him again, I'll ask whether it's possible his dad might have photographed them. But since I don't know when I'll get back down there, maybe if others watching the ducks see any folks from the neighborhood, you'all might ask them about it, too. Everybody I've talked to has been friendly, interested and, when I told them where they normally live, astonished and proud. Tom de Boor Northford, CT On Mon, Jul 15, 2024, 00:57 Mark Szantyr <birdinggeek@gmail.com> wrote: > Ask her for proof. > Mark Szantyr > Storrs, CT > > > > > > On Jul 15, 2024, at 12:46 AM, Tom de Boor via CTBirds < > ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > > > > Apologies in advance if this is already known, but while I was watching > > these extraordinary birds today, a young woman came by and wanted to know > > more about them. In the course of our discussion, she revealed that she > had > > been living in the neighborhood since 2021, and that year, and every year > > since, the Whistling Ducks (three of them, presumably the same every > year) > > have showed up sometime in late spring, stayed for the summer, then > > disappeared. > > > > Maybe someone else who lives in the neighborhood or regularly birds this > > spot could/would contradict this, but interestingly, that's the same > year a > > much larger group began showing up and summering at a somewhat similiar > but > > more residential & manicured little pond near Bombay Hook. > > > > Anyway, if true, I guess they don't need the young Cormorant who seems to > > be their constant companion as a tour guide after all. > > > > Tom de Boor > > Northford, CT > > > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or > "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org > > > > CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing > birders together statewide. Please support COA: > https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ > > > > CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For > list rules and subscription information visit: > https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/ >