The Memorial Day Weekend, just passed, did not disappoint for birders or for outdoor activities. Historically one of the best weekends of the year for birds, it lived up to its lofty expectations. Most exciting and unexpected was the discovery of a species of tropical duck called a Black-bellied Whistling Duck. They used to be called Black-bellied Tree Ducks as they do spend lots of time in trees but they also whistle while most species of whistling ducks do not spend time in trees. Black-bellied Whistling Ducks routinely perch and nest in trees.
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks have only been seen in Massachusetts a few times in the past hundred years, so it is easy to understand the excitement in the birders’ world of a lone bird discovered resting on a tidal flat in Harwich on May 23rd, the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. My modus operandi was to drop everything, go the other way from the Figawi Sailboat Race and get to the south side of Harwich to see this possibly once-in-a-lifetime Whistling Duck on Cape Cod. It worked and excellent views through a spotting scope were had of this very handsome bird with a bright pink bill. The distance involved, the heat haze and the fact that the bird was sleeping were all not good for photography.
The lone bird spent the day sleeping and preening on a small patch of marsh near Allen’s Harbor in Harwich. Whistling ducks are nocturnal and sleep all day and fly out to feeding areas at dusk. Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are rambunctious ducks with a brilliant pink bill and an unusual, long-legged silhouette. In places like Texas and Louisiana, noisy flocks of these gaudy ducks drop into fields to forage on seeds, or loaf on golf course ponds. Listen for them, too—these ducks really do have a whistle for their call. Common south of the U.S., Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks occur in several southern states and are expanding northward.
This species is resident in its extensive range in Central and South America. U.S. populations found in a few southern states mainly along the Gulf Coast and Florida are at the extreme northern edge of this species range. Most of these birds that nest in the southern states migrate south a few hundred miles or more into Mexico and Central America for the winter.
At any rate the bird was what is known as a "one-hit wonder" in the birding world. Here today—gone tomorrow. Chalk up another great bird for the Cape over the Memorial Day Weekend.
The whistling duck was far from the only unusual bird seen. At least 2 Mississippi Kites were seen in Truro. These elegant and graceful birds are becoming almost regular in very small numbers on the Cape in the spring, but are still quite rare. I have yet to meet a birder or non-birder who does not enjoy seeing any species of kite on the wing. Seeing a kite of any species is always a treat in North America.
A group of 4 birders conducted a Massachusetts Big Day—a 24 hour marathon, midnight to midnight, around the state attempting to find as many species as possible within the state’s boundaries. They found 191 species including some very unusual species like Sedge Wren and Pacific Loon. At any rate the long Memorial Day Weekend was great for birds not only on the Cape and Islands but all over the state.
