Checking Out Some CT Lucky Duck Ponds

This the time of the year that a lot of waterfowl start moving into the area. There is a route that I like to take that goes from the town of Durham to Wallingford and ends in Meriden. There are ponds in each of these 3 towns that are productive for ducks and other waterfowl. I could probably leave my house and complete the whole circuit in an hour if I was in a hurry. The first stop was at a small farm pond on route 68 in Durham. Besides the Canada Geese I found a few Ruddy Ducks and a Scaup (lesser I think) here.

 Just up the road from Durham is an area of Wallingford that has lots of farm fields, ponds and reservoirs. I found a Northern Harrier hawk patrolling the fields but I was a little too slow to catch it in action. It's a beautiful area though.Several of the less common geese show up in this part of the state as well.

Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and starlings gathered in large numbers in fields along the way.

This was the quiet half of Mackenzie Reservoir in Wallingford. I did get to see my first Hooded Mergansers of the year on this side at scope distance.

I got a much better view of Ruddy Ducks on the other end of the reservoir. 

After leaving Wallingford I continued onto Bishop's Pond on Research Parkway in Meriden. I don't know what makes this pond so special. It is sandwiched between a highway and an industrial area. It's definitely not a place that I would want to have a picnic but for some reason, ducks love it. I found lots of American Wigeon, a few Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, and a Bufflehead here. 

Just as I was getting ready to leave I found some Northern Shovelers emerged from some corner of the pond. I used to have to work hard to find a variety of ducks in Connecticut until I found out where some of the lucky duck ponds are.