Lesser Scaup at Humber Bay: November 20, 2020

The Lesser Scaup is chiefly a prairie breeder wintering south to the Gulf states.

Lesser Scaup (female)

It is mainly a bird of passage in Ontario, though a few may be found in summer and winter.

Lesser Scaup (female)

Lesser Scaup show a purple gloss on the head. Greater Scaup show a green gloss.

Lesser Scaup (female)

The Lesser Scaup is usually in a shallow, marshy habitat, not in deep water where the Greater Scaup is often seen in great rafts.

Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup (female)

Other birds:

Canada Geese
Hooded Mergansers
Hooded Mergansers
Hooded Merganser (female)
Hooded Merganser (male)
Hooded Mergansers
Red-breasted Merganser (male)
Red-breasted Merganser (female)
Red-breasted Merganser (female)
Double-crested Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Mallard (female)
Mallards
Common Goldeneye (male)
Gadwall (male)
Gadwall (male)
Gadwall (male)
Gadwall (male)
Gadwall (male)
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
American Robin
American Robin
American Robin
American Robin
American Robin
American Wigeon (male) and Bufflehead (female)
American Coot and Bufflehead (female)
Buffleheads
Bufflehead (male)
Buffleheads
Bufflehead (male)

Species list: black-crowned night heron, double-crested cormorant, mute swan, Canada goose, mallard, gadwall, bufflehead, American wigeon, long-tailed duck, lesser scaup, common goldeneye, red-breasted merganser, hooded merganser, American coot, ring-billed gull, herring gull, rock pigeon, black-capped chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, house sparrow, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, song sparrow.  (23 species)

Park scenes:

Wooly Alder Aphids
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)

Today’s group:

NATURE POETRY

Now by great marshes wrapt in mist,
Or past some river’s mouth,
Throughout the long, still autumn day
Wild birds are flying south.                         – Wilfred Campbell (1858–1918)

Miles Hearn

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