November 2020: Wintering Duck Sighting – Bufflehead
If you walk around the lagoon these lovely warm fall days, you might get a chance to see one of our wintering species of ducks. The male Bufflehead has a very white body with some dark coloring. The female is mostly dark with a small white patch on her cheek. They are diving ducks, searching for aquatic insects.
The English name is a combination of buffalo and head, referring to the oddly bulbous head shape of the species. This is most noticeable when the male puffs out the feathers on his head, thus greatly increasing its apparent size. Gathering in small groups, one individual stands guard to alert the rest to potential danger. When startled, they scoot across the water surface to a safer location.
Buffleheads find safe refuge here until ice forms on the lagoon, then they are off to another location to feed. They are usually the first to arrive from their breeding grounds in Canada and then first to leave in the spring. Speaking of breeding grounds, Buffleheads nest in trees, in nest holes that have been carved out by the Northern Flicker.
Happy Birding!!!!