These Canvasbacks flew overhead near Thomas Point.

I’ve often overlooked the Bufflehead hen, who’s not as striking as her mate.

This Common Goldeneye stayed unusually close to shore.

There always seems to be a few Lesser Scaup around.

Here’s a good luck at a Long Tailed Duck.

This Common Goldeneye is a hen, and I haven’t seen many.

The lighting could be better, but this Lesser Scaup shows up well.

I saw these Hooded Mergansers from a distance, and they flew away when I tried to get closer.

The White Breasted Nuthatch is a noisy bird, so I heard this little guy long before he landed right above my head.

I was excited to find a flock of Red Breasted Mergansers in a cove, and I followed them for quite a while. It was interesting to see them travel with their heads underwater as they searched for food.They appeared to be catching small fish.

And a Bluebird.

Mrs. Dearborn took these images about 40 years ago, when the gathering of waterfowl was much greater than it is today.

This is a Lesser Scaup, and I confess the lighting intrigued me more than the bird.

This mixed group of Scaup and Buffleheads seemed to be enjoying the weather.

Follow the leader?

My books suggest that Long Tailed Ducks seldom mix with other birds.

A lot of Bluebirds were around, in small flocks.

The Black Duck is about as plain as a duck can get.

I often find Ruddy Ducks at the Possum Point marina.

It’s not hard to find a Canada Goose at this time of year.

I’ve often seen Osprey perched in these tall towers, but this Bald Eagle is a first.

This Downy Woodpecker flew into the scene when I was looking at the Bluebirds.

Cornell:
“Along with Wood Ducks and other cavity-nesting ducks, Hooded Mergansers often lay their eggs in other females’ nests. This is called “brood parasitism” and is similar to the practice of Brown-headed Cowbirds, except that the ducks only lay eggs in nests of their own species. Female Hooded Mergansers can lay up to about 13 eggs in a clutch, but nests have been found with up to 44 eggs in them.

The ducks at Thomas Point move with the current, and they often fly short distances, presumably to return to the best feeding spot, like this Bufflehead.

The resident Cardinal is still seeking to do battle with his rival in my mirror.

There’s almost always a Lesser Scaup hen close to shore.

I observed this Long Tailed Duck and his mate for several minutes, and I was struck by the fact that they seemed to dive in near unison.

The drake is tipping up prior to diving, and you can see the swirl behind him where the hen just dove.

The Tundra Swan is all grace and beauty.

This Canvasback hen was hanging out with a mixed flock of waterfowl.

Canvasback drake.

I was lucky to notice this Horned Grebe at the edge of the flock.

Lesser Scaup:Just because I like the lens flare.

In the past, I’ve seem Hooded Mergansers in pairs or singly, so it’s a treat to see small flocks.

The male Hooded Merganser is much more striking, but the female has her own beauty.

Better light would have helped, but these Lesser Scaup still look pretty good.

This Long Tailed Duck was foraging in the shallows, and I nearly walked right by her.

Everyone loves the look of a Hooded Merganser.

I’m not sure if I startled these Lesser Scaup or they just took off on their own.

It’s not unusual to see large ships at anchor right off the point.

This pair of Hooded Mergansers was at Quiet Waters.

This (Hen) Long Tailed Duck stayed close to shore.

I often see gulls, like this Herring Gull mixed in with the ducks.

The drake didn’t come in very close, but you can see how the Long Tailed Duck got his name.

There were a few Common Goldeneyes mixed in with the other birds.

This is the third time I’ve photographed this Cardinal inspecting my mirror.

Lesser Scaup are very cooperative.

Mallards are so common I often overlook them.

This small flock of Buffleheads was feeding right off the point.

This Cardinal can’t seem to resist the mirror on my truck.

Lesser Scaup are much less fearful of the camera than other ducks.

Red Breasted Mergansers are still present at Quiet Waters, but they remain far from shore.

The Red Bellied Woodpecker announces his presence loudly.

This Bluebird was drinking at the edge of the cove.

Tundra Swans are large, beautiful birds.

It’s fun to try catching these ducks in flight.

I saw this Red Breasted Merganser at a distance, and when I walked up for a closer shot, he had disappeared.

This Bufflehead hen was travelling with her mate and a raft of Lesser Scaup.

A large flock of Robins was foraging on the water’s edge.

I’ve been taking a regular route through the woods at Quiet Waters in order to see more ducks. I saw this Hooded Merganser and his mates at a distance, and was able to get closer by walking an extra quarter mile.

Takeoff is best described as, “Explosive.”

When these Hooded Mergansers weren’t actively feeding, they were grooming.

This Great Blue Heron flew into the scene as I was photographing the Mergansers.

This Long Tailed Duck and his mate were at the fishermen’s pier.

The current in the Narrows is quite fast. and the ducks would often fly short distances to re-position themselves.

Several Double Crested Cormorants flew over.

This Black Backed Seagull was just hanging out.

Several American Coots were feeding near the pilings.