As spring migration season ramps up, you may have noticed a number of ducks of unusual shape and size on Lyman Lakes recently. With temperatures warming and their preferred pond habitats becoming more productive, lots of interesting new duck species are stopping over at the Lakes on their journey north. These birds are following the Mississippi Flyway, a major migration route spanning from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, that provides critical habitat for both stopovers and breeding to hundreds of migratory bird species, and especially waterfowl. Many of the ducks you’ll spot this term are only here briefly, taking a break en route to lakes and ponds further north. See if you can spot any of these ones this spring!

Most of the ducks you’ll see are Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), the classic ducks that most people think of first. Males have snazzy green heads and bright yellow bills, with a white ring around the neck, while females are a mottled brown with light orange splotches on the bill. Earlier this year, you may have noticed a large flock of them hanging out in Spring Creek! Oftentimes mallards will band together in fairly large flocks as they migrate north for the summer. 

Blue-winged Teals (Spatula discors) are smaller than Mallards, and often hang out in pairs. Males have a grayish head and face with a distinctive, bright white vertical stripe between their eye and their bill. Females look similar to female Mallards, but their bills are more uniformly gray and they have a hint of the male’s white crescent at the base of the bill. Their namesake comes from the light blue-gray patches on their upper wings, only visible when they’re in flight. 

An uncommon visitor to Lyman Lakes is the Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata), whose most distinctive feature is its wide, flat bill. Males have a dark green head, white upper body and tawny flanks, while females are – you guessed it – brown. Those huge bills are perfect for skimming the water’s surface for food, as well as “pinwheel” feeding, when they swim in tight circles to create a mini vortex to bring aquatic plants and invertebrates to the surface. 

The next time you’re walking past Lyman Lakes on your way to Goodhue, the Rec or the Upper Arb, keep an eye out for these and other interesting migrants! 

For more information on the Mississippi Flyway, check out this great resource from Audubon: 

https://www.audubon.org/climate/survivalbydegrees/flyway/mississippi