LaSalle Park Waterfowl

In addition to the many swans, lots of ducks were swimming in the area. A Bufflehead Drake swam close to shore. While foraging for food, they can spend half their time underwater.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bufflehead/overview

Female Gadwall: Gadwalls are known to steal food from diving ducks as they surface. "Pirates of the duck world."

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gadwall/overview

This Mallard is showing off the iridescent purple-blue colour of the speculum. The speculum is a patch (sometimes coloured) on the secondary wing feathers. The colour of the speculum and the colour of the border can help to identify the species.

Mallard/Black Duck hybrid

Red-breasted Merganser females

Although White-winged Scoters winter primarily along the coasts, small numbers winter on the Great Lakes. Populations on the Great Lakes may have declined during the 1970's but now appear to be increasing in response to the invasion of zebra mussels.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-winged_Scoter/overview

We found 25 bird species including some on land such as this Red-bellied Woodpecker