GREAT EGRET, THE CELERY FIELDS, SARASOTA, FL

CATTLE EGRETS, THE CELERY FIELDS, SARASOTA, FL

MIXED FLOCKS OF RING-NECKED DUCKS & LESSER SCAUPS, ACKERMAN LAKE, SARASOTA, FL

LESSER SCAUP, ACKERMAN LAKE, SARASOTA, FL

   This is a male Lesser Scaup in breeding plumage.  We can tell this is a Lesser Scaup rather than a Greater Scaup by the shape of the head and relatively course barring on its back.  It has a relatively tall head that is not as rounded as a Greater Scaup's.

RING-NECKED DUCKS, ACKERMAN LAKE, SARASOTA, FL

   The duck in the the foreground is a female Ring-necked Duck and the duck next to it is the male.  Both are in breeding plumage.  We can differentiate the male Ring-necked Duck from the similar male Lesser and Greater Scaups by the black back and the white "spur" on the side.  The female has a prominant white eye-ring.

SNOWY EGRET, THE CELERY FIELDS, SARASOTA, FL

WINTER WILLET, THE CELERY FIELDS, SARASOTA, FL