scaups

The lesser scaups nibble them from my palm with their beaks.

Duck, duck, owl: Patuxent research center is for the birds John Kelly 2010

Inside the dive-tank building, a pair of lesser scaups are frolicking.

Duck, duck, owl: Patuxent research center is for the birds John Kelly 2010

The lesser scaups nibble them from my palm with their beaks.

Duck, duck, owl: Patuxent research center is for the birds John Kelly 2010

Inside the dive-tank building, a pair of lesser scaups are frolicking.

Duck, duck, owl: Patuxent research center is for the birds John Kelly 2010

While half the crew goes off in a tender to collect samples to be monitored for algal biotoxins known by their acronyms, ASP (amnesic shellfish poison), DSP (diarrheic shellfish poison), and PSP (paralytic shellfish poison), I look out from the deck over the emerging mud-scape to try to identify the banks, bars, and scaups (mussel beds) whose names I had copied from the chart into my notebook.

A Year on the Wing TIM DEE 2009

Since I was young, pretty, and friendly, I got invited to peer through many of the finest scopes ... at scaups, I believe.

With the Naked Eye Anne Johnson 2008

Since I was young, pretty, and friendly, I got invited to peer through many of the finest scopes ... at scaups, I believe.

Archive 2008-12-01 Anne Johnson 2008

Pochards are mostly migratory, breed near permanent bodies of freshwater, and, except three of the scaups, all are predominantly herbivorous.

The Madagascar pochard returns Darren Naish 2006

Pochards are mostly migratory, breed near permanent bodies of freshwater, and, except three of the scaups, all are predominantly herbivorous.

Archive 2006-11-01 Darren Naish 2006

Spike grasses and bulrushes are important seed sources for dabbling ducks, scaups, snow and Canada geese, American coots, and rails.

The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States Janine M. Benyus 1989