I was cycling through Sam Smith Park this afternoon, and saw two flocks of scaup, totaling several hundred birds. They were off the east side. I wasn't close enough to make a positive ID on the species, but it appeared to be a mixed flock with mainly Lesser and a few Greaters. There were a handful of Redheads mixed in as well. Small numbers of Bufflehead were nearby, and close to shore were 6 American Coots. There was a pair of Northern Shovelers in the (almost empty) pond.
Off the west side were 5 Hooded Mergansers (2M, 3F), and a few female Common Mergansers.
From now through the rest of the winter I always check the docks if I see the gulls avoiding them. Today, the culprit was a large orange cat, not an owl.
I also had my first Brown Creeper and Chickadees of the season around the house today. It looks like winter is coming!
BB
