Wednesday, August 13, 2008

I am not a birder but I am fairly certain that this is a male Bufflehead duck. Buffleheads are very small ducks that, like Mergansers, dive for their meals. Unlike other diving ducks, Buffleheads are capable of vertical takeoffs. Supposedly. I have seen this guy with another male on several occasions but I have never seen either dive or exhibit the flight trick. Both have flown short distances but neither has actually left the water in my presence. They seem to use these short flights to cross the water in a hurry. I may be witnessing distraction displays because these guys usually “fly” perpendicular to my boat rather than straight away. JK