Spring, Scaup and Scoter

North Shore of Lake Ontario

10 March 2015

     Yesterday, when temperatures rose to around 7°, it was a perfect day to check out the receding ice on the lake and to check which ducks are populating the areas of open water which are rapidly opening up.

     Not only was there an interesting array of waterfowl, I saw my first American Robin Turdus migratorius and every male Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis within earshot was in full voice.
     The most numerous duck species was Greater Scaup Aytha marila and although they were mostly random members of a large flock numerous pairs had clearly established their bonds and were consistently swimming together. This handsome male and female never strayed far from each other.

     Red-breasted Mergansers Mergus serrator were present also and this male appears due for a trip to the hairdresser!

     As might be expected Ring-billed Gulls were everywhere one looked and this group was gulping down food brought by some kind-hearted human friend.

     This lone individual seemed to be content to watch the frenzy from on high.

     Humber Bay Park in the west end of Toronto has become a very reliable location to find Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos  and I first saw two birds and a little later a singleton, but it may, of course, have been one of the two birds I saw originally.

     Common Goldeneyes Buchepala clangula are well advanced in their entertaining courtship routine, but those so engaged were too far out for photographs; however, this male was a little closer.

     The star of the show perhaps was this male White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca with its truly bizarre bill. It was diving repeatedly and came up with a mussel every single time; the bill seems well suited to handling the shell and the mussel is swallowed whole.

     All in all it was a very pleasant few hours in mild temperatures with the promise of more to come.