Ducks, fall, winter 2018

Ducks, fall, winter 2018.  I'll try to get photos of this season's ducks, both drake and hen.

Common Eider her, Milford Harbor entrance, 12/20/18

Common Eider her, Milford Harbor entrance, 12/20/18

Common Eider her, Milford Harbor entrance, 12/20/18

Common Eider her, Milford Harbor entrance, 12/20/18

Tufted Duck (upper right), with scaup (probably Lesser), Captain's Cove, 12/17/18

Tufted Duck, with scaup (probably Lesser), Captain's Cove, 12/17/18

Redhead pair (drake and hen) with scaup, Captain's Cover, 12.17/18

Greater Scaup

American Wigeon

Surf Scoter, hen, 2 drake

Common Goldeneye

White-winged Scoter

Greater Scaup

Black Scoter 

Hooded Mergansers, drake & hen, Mondo Ponds, 11/30/18

Hooded Merganser hen, Mondo Ponds, 11/30/18

Gadwall drake, Birdseye Boat Ramp, Stratford, 11/27/18

Gadwall drake, Birdseye Boat Ramp, Stratford, 11/27/18

Northern Shoveler, below.  A few photos show the unusual spatulate bill: BNA Online says, "Pronounced bill morphology distinguishes this species from other North American waterfowl: elongated bill, widened distally and spatulate with a conspicuous series of comblike lamellae along lateral edge."  Or, in the words Cornell, 

• The bill of the Northern Shoveler is big (about 2.5 inches long) and shaped like a shovel, but that odd-shaped bill also has about 110 fine projections (called lamellae) along the edges that act like a colander, filtering out tiny crustaceans, seeds, and aquatic invertebrates from the water.

Northern Shoveler, Birdseye Boat Ramp. Stratford, 11/29/18

Northern Shoveler, Birdseye Boat Ramp. Stratford, 11/29/18

Northern Shoveler, Birdseye Boat Ramp. Stratford, 11/29/18

Northern Shoveler, Birdseye Boat Ramp. Stratford, 11/29/18

Northern Shoveler, Birdseye Boat Ramp. Stratford, 11/29/18

Northern Shoveler, Birdseye Boat Ramp. Stratford, 11/29/18

Northern Shoveler, Birdseye Boat Ramp. Stratford, 11/29/18