Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Scaup at Cedar Key

Last weekend I rode Raptor Red out to Cedar Key in search of wildlife. It's only about 20 minutes to salt water from PFHQ and I was hoping the migratory waterfowl would be cooperative.

They were.


Since I rode the motorcycle, it was a simple thing to pull over when I spotted this raft of lesser scaup actively feeding in the roadside shallows.

They were busy.

Lesser scaup are omnivores so I don't know what the food attraction was here, but they were really going for it.

I love ducks.

I love their antics, their noise, and the way they cock their head sideways and look you in the eye.

The scaup below were in a quiet secluded bit of marsh separate from the rafts above.


It was preening time and this pair spent as much time belly up as they did belly down.


Peaceful paddlers.



Check out my abs!




We preen therefore we are.

4 comments:

Thunder said...

Aw man, you had to rub it in that you can still ride down there!
I draw the line when it's below freezing, like it is here!

Anonymous said...

So nice to see those water birds. They are what I miss most about living here in the mountains.

Ericka said...

i love watching them dive.

R.Powers said...

Dave,
Freezing this weekend, so it may sit!


Robin,
I love water critters. I think I love the abundance of aquatic systems.


Ericka,
Me too.
So effortless.