Many types of ducks come close to land in the winter along Lake Ontario. Even so, they can be a bit far out for me to see clearly or it may be pretty windy and cold to watch them along exposed shorelines. One January day I had about an hour or two to go bird hunting and I had to choose where quickly. I decided to try the short path beside the pier at the LaSalle Marina in Burlington because I was pretty much guaranteed to at least see Mallards and Trumpeter Swans which hang out there to get fed.
A Trumpeter Swan
Even Mallards Can Be Beautiful Ducks
I’ve thought several times that if Mallard ducks were not so common, we would better appreciate their vivid colouring. So when I arrived at the Marina, I found a sheltered spot and took some time to admire the glowing green heads on the male Mallards and the pretty dappling on the females.
A couple of other people braving the icy wind passed me on the path, and walked out onto the small beach amongst the ducks and swans. Several hundred Mallards warily walked into the water and floated slightly off shore.
Incredibly Rare Duck ! Or Domestic Mallard ?
I scouted through them, picking out the not-quite-the-same ducks.
First I found two Mallards that are at least partially domestic Mallards. The confusing colours and patterns on birds that are mixes of domestic and wild ducks can lead to excitement until you realize it’s not some incredibly rare specimen.
This “blonde” duck, though, was particularly pretty and I took several photos.
Fun Find Amongst the Many Mallards: a Northern Pintail
Then some very long pointy tail feathers caught my eye. I took a couple of quick photos in case it vanished in the hordes. As I hoped, it was the male Northern Pintail that had been reported off and on since December.
At this angle, I was able to see the colours on the Pintail’s bill, and if I look really closely, I can see “teeth” like serations half-way along the underside of the bill.
While not close, the Pintail glided around only a few dozen metres away, giving me lots of time to admire it, and to compare it to the Mallards.
From the back, the two white lines on the head are a noticeable field mark.
Perhaps This Should be a PinS tail Duck?
This Northern Pintail actually has two noticeable “pins”.
This Northern Pintail definitely had more than one pin in its tail. The double points were very noticeable which helped me pick it out again each time I turned away to take photos of the swans and Bufflehead.
This was the only photo where I could see the Pintail’s pupil and iris.
I didn’t spend long in the cold on the beach at LaSalle Marina but I enjoyed every minute. It’s a great place to see winter waterfowl even on a windy day.
Related Reading
Join In
Do you have a favourite place to watch winter waterfowl? Please share your icy hotspot with a comment.