Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary

Ducking the Harlequin

According to Birds of North America online “this sea duck occupies a niche that is unique among North American waterfowl. The Harlequin Duck uses clear, fast-flowing rivers and streams for breeding and is able to move swiftly and with great agility in turbulent white water, diving to river bottoms to feed. After breeding, individuals migrate to the coasts of North America and Greenland, where they occupy the shallow intertidal zones of rocky coastlines. They forage close to shore and consume a varied diet, including small crabs, barnacles, and other small marine food items.”

The Harlequin appears dark overall from a distance.  As one draws closer, the plumage becomes more dazzling and colorful. The body is slate blue with chestnut brown sides.  It has white stripes and spots on its head, neck and sides. It also has rusty and white crown stripes on the top of its very round head along with a white vertical crescent between the back of the eye and the small blue gray bill.  A distinctive white facial dot is located behind each eye. Click here to hear the call of the Harlequin with its distinctive mouse like squeak.

These images were captured on Sun. Nov. 1, 2009 at Scusset Beach State Reservation located in Sandwich.  Skies were overcast with light winds. The ducks were bobbing in the surf and diving for food among the rocks at the east end of the Cape Cod Canal entry jetty. During the fall migration cycle, this is an excellent location to observe both migrant and wintering waterfowl. According to “Birding Cape Cod,” published by the Cape Cod Bird Club “this may be one of the best spots on the Cape to find the King Eider.” Other common migrating and wintering species found in this location may include: Northern Gannets, Common Loons, Common Eiders, Surf Scoters and White-winged Scoters. Please click here for additional recent images of the Harlequin.

Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay provides an online Cape Cod Weekly Bird Sightings roundup. The recent edition noted that “it's the time of year when interesting waterfowl begin to show up on the Cape. Ducks found during a recent birding round-up in Barnstable included a gadwall, a Eurasian wigeon, 96 American wigeon, 3 blue-winged teal, a green-winged teal, 101 ring-necked ducks, a bufflehead, a hooded merganser, 5 common loons, 5 pied-billed grebes, plus a blue grosbeak found in Marstons Mills.” The sightings list is updated weekly.

Enjoy!

Craig Gibson
Woods Hole