February 21 – My Nature Journal
2026-02-21 Nature Journal
Cooper’s Hawk
Astur cooperii
Seeing a Cooper’s Hawk while out on my nature walks is a real treat, as I see Red-shouldered Hawks much more frequently.
This juvenile Cooper’s Hawk swept in from behind me and landed in this tree about a hundred yards off the path. I wish the big branch wasn’t cutting across the foreground but one has to take what one can get when photographing wildlife—they don’t exist to please humans.
I considered trying to move into a different position to get a clearer shot but I didn’t want to stress the hawk into flying off before it would normally.
So, I’m pleased with this shot, because it captured this Cooper’s Hawk in real-life, just as I remember it.
Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis.
This pair of male Lesser Scaups floated about a hundred yards off the lake shore and seemed completely unconcerned by the steadily increasing rain.
And why would they be concerned in the slightest? After all, the phrase “like water off a duck’s back” developed for good reason.
Of the three of us, I was the only creature that cared about how heavy the rain was going to get!
Green-winged Teal
Anas carolinensis
I was pleased to catch sight of this Green-winged Teal male once again.
These birds are so small that they can be hard to spot, especially when they are on shore or I am scanning over water and towards the shore.
The Teal female was nearby but she stayed farther out on the water than this male. Between the low light and the rain, my photographs of her didn’t come out well enough to keep.
But it was fun watching the two Teals interact. The male appeared to keep careful watch on the surroundings for them both; the female seemed more relaxed and mostly kept her eyes on the male.
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
This male and female Hooded Merganser were the only Mergansers I saw on the lake today.
I suspect this pair won’t remain in the area for very long before they fly off for the season.
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
Not only was this male Ruddy Duck the only Ruddy Duck I spotted on the entire lake today, he was only the only duck or water bird at this end of the lake at all.
Usually, this end of the lake holds Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritum), and Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus), not to mention a few other Ruddy Ducks.
But this lone male was all by himself in this part of the lake. Even the Hooded Merganser pair was an entire lake away.
Who knows if he actually felt lonely or if he was enjoying the solitude? But I enjoyed watching him create a symmetrical, triangular wake as he cut through the glass-calm water.
Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
These two female Buffleheads accompanied this male closely as they paddled across the lake.
By this time, the rain was falling steadily but naturally, ducks that dive underwater for a living have no issues with getting wet. These three Buffleheads just kept swimming at a brisk pace towards the far end of the lake.
I’m not sure what they were aiming for—perhaps an area where fish concentrated—but they certainly struck me as goal-oriented as they cruised across the lake.
Today’s Nature Journal Snapshot
|
Time of Day |
Late morning into early afternoon |
|
Setting |
Large lake and surrounding forest |
|
Temperature |
58° F / 14° C |
|
Weather |
Overcast and periods of light rain |
|
Humidity |
67% |
