While we are on the duck topic - or we were on it as of late - I was driving by a beach near my home and I spotted the duck I was thinking was what Dinsdale saw. I have no idea what kind of duck it is, I only know they show up in the winter, and leave in late spring. Here they are in rapid succession as I moved closer to them they moved further away.
If this is not Dinsdale’s duck, does anyone know what they are?
They are not geese, or loons I’m pretty sure.
Darned if they don’t look to me like Canada geese, just with shorter necks.
But IANAO.
I know, but they are not canada geese. As a matter of fact I’ve seen these “ducks” get shunned and skooted away by the Canadian Geese.
I’m guessing it’s a small goose called a Brant.
Definitely not my duck/grebe/merganser.
Tamerlane’s brant looks like a good bet - and I think something jostling around in the backmost recesses of my grey matter says brants tend to form huge flocks along the east coast in spring and fall.
But I just got back from my run and got a good look at one of them - have to run over to the other thread to check the photos…
I was going to guess Brant’s geese, too. I can’t find any ducks with white butts.
Yep - it’s a Brant. Cool. I never knew what these bird were that were crapping on my lawn in the winter. 
I agree. Definitely Brant.
Ducks, wonderful ducks!
It’s funny, but I too have been running into ducks lately. About two weeks ago I nearly ran over a strange looking bird walking across the driveway of the health club, but he fortunately took wing and settled into a nearby fountain, whence he regarded me with that slghtly superior look that ducks have, as I slowly rolled by.
Then a week later, I was coming out of a nearby Carl’s Jr. with my food and there were two ducks waddling around near my car–a male and female. It’s so odd to see a duck, after all. It’s not as if they’re pigeons. By way of experiment, I offered them some french fries, which the female took up, then vigorously shook her head from side to side. She seemed to enjoy it though, because she kept picking it up and nibbling off a little.
Ah, ducks.
