[EBB Sightings] Tufted Duck at Lake Merritt, Oakland

I had to take a sick day from work today so I had the occasion to take a
leisurely walk down to Lake Merritt after this afternoon's rain. My first
pass by the duck area turned up nothing unusual but on the way back, just
before sundown, I noticed the male Tufted Duck at the edge of the scaup
flock near the Embarcadero. He hung close to the floating divider that
surrounds the fountain area, staying on the deepwater side. 

 

He and the scaups were all resting with their heads tucked back but he stood
out in the flock due to his solid black back, contrasting with a neat white
rectangular flank. Unlike a Ring-necked Duck (which I had just been admiring
over in the duck feeding area), he lacked the white spur in front of the
folded wing. His tuft was relaxed the whole time but I was able to make out
shaggy feathering on the back of his head, unlike the glossy smooth heads of
the scaup.

 

No luck locating a Northern Waterthrush at Children's Fairyland.

 

Bruce Mast

Oakland

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