This image is probably a better background for those with an LCD panel monitor than a conventional CRT monitor since it is quite bright. This species of diving duck spends its winters in the Greater Vancouver area and points further south. In the summer it travels up to the Yukon, Alaska and the western part of the Northwest Territories. This is a smaller duck, but not much smaller than the Greater Scaup. The two are sometimes difficult to tell apart, and they often share company. The Lesser Scaup has a peaked head, the Greater Scaup is more round. The Lesser Scaup prefers ponds or small lakes, the Greater prefers larger lakes and estuaries. To make the identification harder, these are active ducks, spending much of their time feeding under the water, out of sight. Furthermore they are somewhat shy of people. It is usually easier to identify them by taking a picture of them rather than by direct observation.
Female Lesser Scaup
