The Breeze February 2015

Photographed by Eric Horan
Northern Shoveler
I think it is safe to assume that this duck gets its name from a conspicuous elongated, bill that widens at the
tip resembling a spatula. Comb shaped projections along the edges of its bill are a specialized adaptation
to filter small organisms out of the water. It is considered a “dabbling” duck rather than a “diving” duck,
although it can dive if disturbed. The male has an iridescent green head, white chest and chestnut belly and
sides. The wings have a gray-blue shoulder patch. Per usual, the female is modest in her brownish speckled
overall plumage, but also has the blue shoulder patch to match.
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Bufflehead
This is the smallest North American duck. It
overwinters in our area and can commonly be
found on the May River. It is white with a black
back. The male has a dark head with a white
patch that wraps around the back of his head.
The female is grey overall with a white blaze
on either cheek. They dive for food, aquatic
invertebrates, mollusks and tiny crustaceans,
typically swallowing it underwater, and
surfacing within 30 seconds. Impressive. They
use only their feet to swim underwater and
compress the air from their feathers by pressing
their wings tightly against their body. Speaking
of feet, they rarely walk on land…females lead
ducklings to water on foot. During breeding
season (summer), abandoned northern flicker
woodpecker holes accommodate bufflehead
nesting mostly in Alaska and Canada. They
are usually monogamous for the season and
subsequent seasons.