Ring-necked Ducks

I saw two drake Ring-necked Ducks today on the peninsula side of the lake at Prospect Park.  Ring-necks, at first glance look very similar to scaup (Lesser & Greater), but where Lesser Scaup & Greater Scaup are sometimes impossible to separate one from the other, with Ring-necks, all you do is look for a white "spur" on their body and you know what they are. And that's why I like them--they're a good looking duck that you usually only see in the winter and they're easy to identify. No worrying about the amount of barring on the body or the shape of the head as with scaup. White spur=Ring-neck Duck. Next bird please!

Prospect Park

Observation date:     3/3/10

Number of species:     36

Canada Goose     105

Mute Swan     7     Two on Lullwater, five on lake

American Black Duck     6

American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid)     1

Mallard     160

Northern Shoveler     4

Ring-necked Duck     2     Peninsula side of lake

Hooded Merganser     3     Peninsula side of lake

Ruddy Duck     42

Double-crested Cormorant     1     Standing on west lake shore

American Coot     14

Ring-billed Gull     160

Herring Gull     27

Great Black-backed Gull     1

Rock Pigeon     25

Mourning Dove     8

Red-bellied Woodpecker     4

Downy Woodpecker     3

Blue Jay     5

American Crow     2

Black-capped Chickadee     6

Tufted Titmouse     1     Feeders

Red-breasted Nuthatch     1     Feeders

White-breasted Nuthatch     3

American Robin     22

Northern Mockingbird     2

European Starling     7

Fox Sparrow     1     Lullwater trail

Swamp Sparrow     1     West lake shore

White-throated Sparrow     16

Dark-eyed Junco     19

Northern Cardinal     11

Red-winged Blackbird     2

Common Grackle     1

House Finch     6     Feeders

American Goldfinch     1     Feeders

House Sparrow     6