January 19 – My Nature Journal
2026-01-19 Nature Journal
Lesser Scaup
(Aythya affinis)
Today was exciting, in that I spotted my first-ever Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis).
This particular bird was the only one of her kind on the entire lake (and believe me, I searched carefully). As we experienced a strong storm with high winds recently, I wondered if she was on her way somewhere else, got caught in the storm, and had simply landed on this lake to rest.
I caught sight of her from a distance as I was nearly finishing circling the lake.
She floated all by herself in a narrow cove along the lake. I could tell immediately that she wasn’t a Mallard, a Ruddy Duck, a Ring-necked Duck, a Gadwall, a Bufflehead, or a Hooded Merganser (all of which were also on the lake today) but I had to cover some ground before she was close enough for my telephoto lens to capture enough detail for identification.
Lesser Scaups (Aythya affinis)—both male and female—look nearly exactly like their cousin species, Greater Scaups (Aythya marila), both of which can be found in North Carolina.
I base my identification of this bird as a Lesser Scaup mostly on location. Lesser Scaups have a wider distribution in the southeast than Greater Scaups overall, and their range covers this inland lake, whereas Greater Scaups are more likely to be found closer to the coast.
Being the only duck of one’s kind on an entire lake seems a lonely sort of existence. I hope she either flies off to join other Lesser Scaups or some fellow Lesser Scaups fly in to join her.
Ring-necked Duck
(Aythya collaris)
I fall into a pattern of feeling that whatever wild animal I’m photographing at any given time is my favorite.
Today’s sighting of Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) was no different. I love the dramatic contrast of their shiny, deep black heads and backs against the soft gray of their sides, as well as their bright yellow eyes.
These two males and a female foraged for food in a shallow inlet on the west side of the lake. While they didn’t fly or paddle off, they drifted to the far end of the inlet as additional people approached.
Eastern Bluebird
(Sialia sialis)
Some wild animals are just so photogenic, I just have to take their picture.
I place Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) into this category. The brilliant blue feathers on male Eastern Bluebirds practically glow, especially in overcast or indirect light. And while they flit from perch to perch frequently, they seem less flighty than many other songbird species and give nature photographers like me a chance to focus and expose correctly.
This particular bird perched on a branch that hung over the nature trail. He was quite far away but because he held so still, this photograph came out reasonably well.
Hooded Merganser
(Lophodytes cucullatus)
I always enjoy watching Hooded Mergansers, no matter how many times I’ve seen them in the wild before. The dramatic colors on the males just leap out against water, and I enjoy watching them flare their crests in a “hey baby, come here often?” kind of way whenever female Hooded Mergansers are nearby.
These three males were paddling towards the open water of the lake after spending some foraging for food closer to shore.
Today’s Nature Journal Snapshot
|
Time of Day |
Mid-afternoon |
|
Setting |
Large lake |
|
Temperature |
47° F / 8° C |
|
Weather |
Sunny |
|
Humidity |
48% |
