Bulletin Post

Winter Waterfowl Arrive on the Bay

As the ospreys head south, the Chesapeake's winter residents take their place. November brings large flights of Canada geese down the Atlantic Flyway, rafts of canvasbacks, buffleheads, and other diving ducks on open water, and the return of tundra swans, the Bay's most striking winter visitor.

For boaters, it's one of the quiet pleasures of the season: rafts of ducks on the South River on a still morning, long lines of geese overhead at dusk. Give resting flocks a wide berth, since they've just flown a long way and every disturbance costs them energy. Keep a pair of binoculars aboard. The Bay in late fall belongs to the birds as much as the boats.