When spooked, there were 6± ducks that fled the lake. All were Blue Winged Teal (as on the right) except for the one on the left. It appears to be a Scaup.

"Fairly small compact duck with a medium-length bill. Bill length 2/3 head length; steep forehead rounds off to high, short, somewhat peaked crown with a slight 'corner at the rear. In general, head height is greater than length ..., creating a vertical appearance to head ... Lesser Scaup flanks washed with pale gray, head in good light with purplish to greenish gloss ...." (Donald & Lillian Stokes's The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America, p. 27)

"Greater Scaup ... Very difficult to distinguish from Lesser; slightly larger, but plumage essentially identical, so identification must be based on shape of the head and bill." (David Allen Sibley's The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, p. 81)

Lockwood & Freeman (p. 10) note that the Greater Scaup is "Rare to uncommon in all parts of the state," while the Lesser Scaup is "Common to abundant migrant and winter resident east of the Pecos River." Given the physical similarity between the Greater Scaup & the Lesser Scaup, it is more prudent to assume that what we see here is the Lesser Scaup.

Photo taken with a Nikon D300 using a manual focus Nikon 300mm f/4.5 lens.

January 17, 2015.