Photo: Bufflehead at Echo Park Lake, November 9, 2008; by Martin Cox (c)

In Bufflehead and Ruddy duck news: we have an update. You may recall that a Bufflehead appeared at Echo Park Lake shortly before Thanksgiving. It was a rare occurrence for EP, which hosts all kinds of wild ducks -- American widgeons, Lesser scaups, Ruddy ducks, Northern shovelers, Redhead ducks. But nary a Bufflehead until November, when the male (above) showed up unaccompanied. He came and went, and it was not clear what he was up to. But guess what?

Martin Cox has observed a new arrival. The Ruddy ducks are not too happy about it:

After intermittent Bufflehead visits to the south end of the lake, a second has joined the first, we now have a pair of Buffleheads! And they are getting very territorial and fighting off the innocent Ruddy ducks relentlessly.

I wonder how they [the Buffleheads] found each other? But then Echo Park worked for me to find my life partner too. It works that way!

Tell that to the Ruddys!


Ruddy duck: photo via Cornell University/All About Birds