In the mid-valley region (Polk County) it's somewhat in-between. Greater
Scaup are pretty uncommon, but if you find a good sized (maybe 100+) Lesser
flock somewhere like the Monmouth Sewage Ponds there will be a Greater or
two in it around half the time.
-Caleb Centanni
On Mar 13, 2016 7:35 PM, "Alan Contreras" <acontrer56@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Tim's statement about scaup abundance is more true in the north valley and
less true in Lane County, perhaps owing to the draw of Fern Ridge
Reservoir. Greater Scaup is regular on Kirk Pond below Fern Ridge Dam and
also on the Willamette River at Eugene. Lesser is more common but small
flocks of Greater do occur. Greaters seem to need "larger water" than do
Lesser.
What's the scaup situation at Hagg Lake?
Alan Contreras
Eugene, Oregon
acontrer56@xxxxxxxxx
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 13, 2016, at 7:25 PM, Tim Janzen <tjanzen@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:in
Dear Lars,
You are absolutely correct that the default scaup in shallow fresh water
western Oregon in winter is the Lesser Scaup. I would say that inClackamas
County, I probably have seen 1000 Lesser Scaups for every Greater Scaup Iare
have seen. ID can sometimes be a little challenging if the scaups are a
long ways away or if the scaups are actively diving, but in any case a
Greater Scaup is definitely a rare bird in the Willamette Valley. They
much less common in the Willamette Valley than Eurasian Wigeons are.Behalf
Sincerely,
Tim Janzen
-----Original Message-----
From: obol-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:obol-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Of Lars Per NorgrenWhen
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2016 5:28 PM
To: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [obol] Hillsboro scaup
Nagi, your picture shows a classic Lesser Scaup, no ambiguity about it.
my dad hunted scaup on Long Island Sound the Connecticut Fish and Gamethere
employee used the measure of nail width on bills to distinguish the two
species, but he was using calipers. This scaup is alive and well, so its
head profile affords a good ID: somewhat flattish top to head, decided
crested look at the nape. Greater Scaup typically have a smooth curve
at the nape, with possibly a slight angular break in that curve of thescaup
profile nearer the top of the head.
Please correct me if I'm wrong folks, but isn't the default scaup in
shallow fresh water in western Oregon in winter the Lesser? And winter
on salt water in winter are typically Greaters in Oregon. I think theCoos
Bay CBC got one Lesser this year and it was in a pond in a city park.head
Visitors to the Philomath Sewage Ponds this winter have occasionally
scrounged up one or two Greaters among the scores of Lesser Scaup. The
shape works to ID female scaup as well. It is fraught with challenges, ashave
shown in Sibley. Ducks just before or after diving, when preening, what
you, do all kinds of things with their head feathers that can change theI've
profile in amazing ways. Scaup go through a highly uncoordinated molt.
seen birds throughout the winter that are way ahead or behind theirfellows
in the succession from eclipse to full breeding plumage.field
That's why I say your picture shows a classic individual. A soft
mark for sure, but the others that come to mind are less useful.LarsPOST:
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