Surf Scoter Scrum
Well, maybe not a scrum, but never having seen these birds before, that's what it looked like when I first encountered these birds.
I was on my second drive north to Alaska from Maryland and I was on the Alaska Highway between Whitehorse and Tok. I was passing by Kluane Lake when I saw what appeared to be a flock of birds on the water, so I quickly stopped and walked back past some trees to see what was there. Nothing. I scratched my head thinking that I had seen something and wondering if they had flown away. Just then these ducks started to reappear on the surface one by one. Obviously diving ducks of some kind but my word, what a head and beak on these birds! I watched as they would repeatedly dive as a group, leaving the surface together, and then after about 30 seconds they would reappear. And while on the surface it was as though they were talking about the recent dive just before they dove again. I watched them for about a half an hour just mesmerized by their behavior!! In this photo about half of them have already dove and you can see the tail-feathers of those going down.
Taken 17 June 2017.
Surf Scoter Scrum
Well, maybe not a scrum, but never having seen these birds before, that's what it looked like when I first encountered these birds.
I was on my second drive north to Alaska from Maryland and I was on the Alaska Highway between Whitehorse and Tok. I was passing by Kluane Lake when I saw what appeared to be a flock of birds on the water, so I quickly stopped and walked back past some trees to see what was there. Nothing. I scratched my head thinking that I had seen something and wondering if they had flown away. Just then these ducks started to reappear on the surface one by one. Obviously diving ducks of some kind but my word, what a head and beak on these birds! I watched as they would repeatedly dive as a group, leaving the surface together, and then after about 30 seconds they would reappear. And while on the surface it was as though they were talking about the recent dive just before they dove again. I watched them for about a half an hour just mesmerized by their behavior!! In this photo about half of them have already dove and you can see the tail-feathers of those going down.
Taken 17 June 2017.