Red-breasted Merganser

Harlequin Ducks (Two Lights and Fort Williams, Common Eiders, at least one King Eider (Dyer Point), Black and White-winged Scoters (Crescent Beach), Pintails (Ferry Beach), Red-breasted Mergansers, Red-necked Grebes, and numerous Common Loons.

…a Herring Gull pilfering a Common Eiders hard earned meal (a mussel), two diving Horned Grebes, nine Black Scoters, six Surf Scoters, one male Long-tailed Duck, three Common Loons, one Red-breasted Merganser and one adult Bald Eagle that flew rather low along the length of the beach.

Winter residents like Buffleheads, Scoters and Red-breasted Mergansers are now starting to depart for breeding grounds far north and west of here.

As for new arrivals, on November 7 from Trundy Point’s undeveloped rocky headland I noted White-winged Scoters, Red-breasted Mergansers, Long-tailed Ducks, a single Black Guillemot and a lone Razorbill.

Also, just offshore were significant numbers of foraging Black Scoters and Common Eiders, several Red-breasted Mergansers (merganser in Latin roughly translates to “plunging goose”) and a pair of Common Goldeneye ducks.

In the last days of February off of Dyer Point, Trundy Point, Pond Cove and Fort Williams I saw the following - Common Loons, Common Eiders, Harlequin Ducks, Long-tailed Ducks, Common Goldeneyes, Black and Surf Scoters and Red-breasted Mergansers.

Later that same day I spotted nine Harlequin Ducks off Trundy Point along with Black Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Red-breasted Mergansers and two Black Guillemots.

Along our travels we spotted nine species of sea ducks including all three scoter species: Harlequin, Common Goldeneye and Long-tailed Ducks as well as Red-breasted Mergansers and Buffleheads.

Seconds later two separate pairs of Red-breasted Mergansers flew by at close range; the lanky, somewhat disheveled look of the male in flight is a sight to see.

Additional observations include: on February 9 a Hermit Thrush in Kettle Cove and along Crescent Beach State Park, eight Long-tailed Ducks, six Buffleheads, four Red-breasted Mergansers and two Lesser Scaup ducks.