This evening we took a jaunt to Lake Peltier in Centerville/Lino Lakes to identify a flock of ducks. They were at the SW corner of the lake, closest to Centerville Lake. We watched them from the fishing pier. We found, all in one group:
Five Bufflehead - two mature males, one young male, and two females. Nine Scaup (new to me)- six males and three females. Most of them looked to be LESSER. One female had a white ear patch, but it sounds like lesser can have those, too (help)? One female appeared to not have the white face mask at all from the spotting scope and the pictures, but otherwise was definitely a scaup - females have the beautiful striping appearance. I first noticed them at 5:30pm and we went back around 7pm. Not too much boating pressure this evening. I didn't see them when we left around 8pm. They were quite a distance away to make a great id, but safe to say lesser from the pictures - and their range. Two had a more round head shape, but most had the lesser head shape for sure. They stayed far from shore and kept swimming the entire time. And... Two Yellow-rumped Warblers on a branch over the water. Chirps! Mo Whalen Ham Lake, Anoka County, MN
