Scarborough Bluffers Park today

[cosmo3667]

With the deep freeze upon us the protected harbour all but frozen, The mallards all sat on the edge of the ice where it met the water. All the swans were out on the lake. A increase of longtails seen trying to swim and crawl through the thin ice, where the were unable to they swam under the ice to the next opening. a Greater Scaup and a Common Mergansger shared a very small patch of open water.
Greater Scaup


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Longtail crawling/swiming through the thin ice



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Under the ice to the next opening


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Give up head to open water


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Common Merganser and Greater Scaup share a small open water patch


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[thouc]

Your Scaup is a Greater Scaup. It has a large rounded head. It is also much more common in winter around here.

[Rotarran]

Great pics.  Incredible what these animals have to endure.  Thanks for sharing.

[cosmo3667]

Your Scaup is a Greater Scaup. It has a large rounded head. It is also much more common in winter around here.

thanks made the changes

[Rotarran]

Hope you don't mind that I use your thread but I went there today and have some pics:

Trumpeter Swans on sheet of ice:


Trumpeter Swans on the left and the very right is what I believe to be a Tundra Swan -> notice the yellow patch under the eye:


Female Bufflehead...long distance shot...gave in to temptation and used the forbidden digital zoom:


Male Bufflehead...the only good shot I got...and I had the opportunity but my hands were getting numb from the cold ...I'll try again next time:


Group of Long-Tailed Ducks including males and females.  My wife says they look like they're wearing ear-muffs lol


Unintentionally caught a cool diving shot..haha!


Another nice shot of the Ear-Muff Du.....errr I mean the Long-Tailed Duck

[thouc]

There are a few Trumpeters around trying to pose as Tundras by having yellow/orange markings on the bill. This is a Trumpeter Swan as it has the same size (Tundra Swans are considerably smaller) and bill shape as the other Trumpeters. Also the yellow is more irregularly shaped than it would be for a Tundra Swan.

/Thomas

[Rotarran]

Oh ok, thanks for the correction.

[cosmo3667]

Hope you don't mind that I use your thread but I went there today and have some pics:
Don't mind at all check out my posting on Mon Jan 21st for close-up pic of the Yellow Lore Trumpeter which can be confused with the Tundra swan for the yellow markings on the bill. Nice pictures. When the ice forms in the lagoon the buffleheads stay at the waters edge and for whatever reason don;t seem to be so skittish and offer much better close-up photos

Trumpeter Swans on sheet of ice:


Trumpeter Swans on the left and the very right is what I believe to be a Tundra Swan -> notice the yellow patch under the eye:


Female Bufflehead...long distance shot...gave in to temptation and used the forbidden digital zoom:


Male Bufflehead...the only good shot I got...and I had the opportunity but my hands were getting numb from the cold ...I'll try again next time:


Group of Long-Tailed Ducks including males and females.  My wife says they look like they're wearing ear-muffs lol


Unintentionally caught a cool diving shot..haha!


Another nice shot of the Ear-Muff Du.....errr I mean the Long-Tailed Duck