Of interest to some, today (Jan. 9) while doing the Lake Ontario Winter Waterfowl Count, Barb Charlton, Cheryl Edgecombe and I found an apparent hybrid Tufted Duck x Greater Scaup on Lake Ontario off Burlington. We had the bird off Fruitland Ave. which is just east of Sioux Lookout Park between Guelph Line and Walkers Line. (This should not be confused with Fruitland Rd in Stoney Creek.) We saw the bird at about 11:00 a.m. a few hundred metres offshore in amongst a loose flock of Long-tailed Ducks, Greater Scaup and Common Goldeneye.
The bird is an adult male, and has a small but noticeable tuft on the rear crown. The back is dark gray, much darked than on scaup but not as black as in Tufted, and contrasts nicely with the gleaming white flanks. The bill has a larger black tip than on Greater Scaup, but likely not as much as a Tufted should have. The bird is slightly smaller than Greater Scaup. Head colour could not be discerned in the lighting today. The bird looks much like a hybrid Tufted x Greater Scaup depicted in Sibley's Guide to the Birds (p. 91). Directions: Accessed from Lakeshore Rd in Burlington; either go east from Guelph Line or west from Walkers Line to Fruitland Ave (two blocks east of Sioux Lookout Park). This is a quiet residential street that dead ends at a small public access to the lake. There is only room for about two cars to park here. The bird was off to the east slightly when looking straight out. Cheers, Rob Dobos Dundas, Ont. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
