Lesser Scaup – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Ring-necked Duck And An Odd Lesser Scaup

By Mia McPherson|January 20th, 2024|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Lesser Scaups, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Aythya affinis, Aythya collaris, diving ducks, duck, ducks, ID, idenitification, identification, key features, Lesser Scaup, male, odd, park, pond, possible hybrid, Ring-necked Duck, scaup, scaups, spur, spurs, urban, water, winter|

Seven days ago I found a Ring-necked Duck and an odd Lesser Scaup drake at my local pond. The scaup puzzled me and I wondered if he might be a hybrid.

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Lesser Scaup Hen And Drake At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|March 3rd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Lesser Scaups, Utah|Tags: adult, Aythya affinis, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, female, flapping, hen, ice, Lesser Scaup, male, marsh, scaup, scaups, water, waterfowl, wetlands, wing flap, wings, winter|

On my last trip up to Bear River MBR I had a brief opportunity to photograph a Lesser Scaup hen next to the auto tour loop as she flapped her wings.

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Help With Drake Scaup Identification

By Mia McPherson|November 28th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Greater Scaups, Lesser Scaups, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: autumn, Aythya affinis, Aythya marila, breeding plumage, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, fall, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, male, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, pond, scaup, scaups, urban, water, wetlands, winter|

Every fall and winter when Lesser and Greater Scaups are seen in northern Utah I hear questions about scaup identification.

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Drake Lesser Scaup in Salt Lake County

By Mia McPherson|March 13th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Lesser Scaups, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Aythya affinis, diving, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, floating, Lesser Scaup, male, pond, scaup, scaups, urban, water, waterfowl, winter|

The drake Lesser Scaup did come in close enough to be able to take a few images of it where it almost filled the frame before a man and his dog walked by and caused the scaup to make a hasty retreat to the middle of the pond.

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Looking ahead to winter

By Mia McPherson|September 27th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Common Ravens, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Lesser Scaups, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: adult, autumn, Aythya affinis, Common Raven, Corvus corax, diving ducks, drake, duck, fall, Lesser Scaup, male, marsh, scaup, scaups, water, wetlands, White-crowned Sparrow, winter, Zonotrichia leucophrys|

We catch up and share stories of birds we saw in the warmer months and reveal the journeys we have been on.

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