There is nothing more thrilling on a chilly, windy overcast March day than scanning lake water with field glasses for glimpses of wild migrating ducks and geese as they settle on the water for rest and feeding after spending a night of travel on their way north to their breeding grounds.

This year, some of this delight was compromised by high water, but some viewing was available before the flooding took place and again after the water levels began to recede.

The spring migration is particularly special because the birds are in their nuptial plumage, which for male ducks can be quite colorful. Also in spring, there isn’t the problem with hunters that one encounters during the fall migration.

Geese come through before ducks. Indeed, snow geese were apparent on local lakes and ponds a few weeks ago. They were abundant at Spring Valley Marsh where light was reflected from a setting sun (see photos). More recently, a setting sun at a small inlet of Caesar’s Creek Lake revealed a mixture of ducks and geese (see photo).

Wild ducks can be divided into two groups. One group is known as marsh ducks, which largely are surface feeders in ponds, marshes and some streams. They feed by “dabbling” and “upending,” the latter having an appearance of standing on their heads. They sometimes feed on land. The sexes are unlike, and as previously mentioned, the nuptial plumage of males can be quite colorful. By late summer they molt into a drab plumage. Their food consists mainly of aquatic plants, seeds and grass. They take flight directly into the air.

Examples of marsh ducks would include blue- winged and green-winged teal, mallards (some are feral or domestic), northern shoveler, wood ducks and pintails. Around here, the pintail (see photo) is not commonly seen, especially in recent years. It is a more common migrant west of here in Indiana and Illinois. Its main route is one used by many waterfowl, called the Mississippi Flyway. Like many wild ducks, the pintail winters in the Gulf Coast states. It breeds in central Canada as well as northern portions of Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota.

The other group of ducks is known as “diving ducks” or “bay ducks.” These birds are more often seen in open water of the larger lakes, although they do occasionally occur on smaller bodies of water. As the name implies, ducks of this group dive for their prey, which consists largely of small aquatic animals, which includes mollusks and crustaceans. In taking wing, they patter along the surface.

Diving ducks include the bufflehead, the goldeneye, the greater and lesser scaups, the canvasback and the redhead. These winter largely in the Gulf Coast states, although some like the bufflehead may winter as far north as southern Ohio. The goldeneye also may winter as far north as Tennessee and northern Mississippi.

The canvasback and the redhead are closely related species. Both breed in the north central United States and lower Canadian provinces, although their breeding distribution in the U.S. is spotty. They winter largely in coastal bays of the Gulf states. At one time, the redhead was seen regularly around here in migration. One was reported this spring at Englewood Dam lake north of Dayton (see photo), but over all, their occurrence during migratory season has been sparse in many local lakes.

Like other migratory birds, ducks and geese do most of their traveling at night. They spend days resting and feeding. Just how they find their way is somewhat of a mystery, although there are experiments and theories that have shed some light on the phenomenon.

Years ago on Sharon Lake in Hamilton County, your writer awaited the arrival each spring of teals, shovelers, buffleheads, lesser scaups and occasional pintails, canvasbacks and redheads. March is known for many things — basketball madness and baseball spring training among others.

Although I find these sporting endeavors interesting, I’ve always been much more imbued with observing the spring migration of wild waterfowl.