Tough photos of the Tufted Duck

Today I got a second shot at a shot of a Tufted Duck on Johnson's Pond in Groveland, MA, just outside of Boston. Going back to last December, I staked out a female Tufted Duck, and watched it diving continuously, without having even a shot at a photo.

Today, I found the male Tufted Duck very quickly, at the east end of the pond, but again, it was moving amongst a group of Scaup, back and forth, feeding and diving, not staying in my scope and too far for my SLR to get a clear shot. It was Maryland all over again, except, the male is much easier to spot as it emerges from the Scaup from time to time.

I had been watching it for an hour, trying to get a photo, when a couple showed up looking for their lifer Tufted Duck. I told them I had just seen it, but they need a scope to re-find the bird amongst the Scaup. The man,(I never got either of their names), ran and got the scope from the car, but as he was setting up the scope, the 20 or so Scaup, for no discernible reason, took off and flew away. I could see they were nearly heartbroken, but a few moments later, the birds circled back, and about half a dozen of them landed very close by.

I quickly scoped them and by sheer luck the male and female Tufted Ducks were amongst them. The couple got their lifer, number 500 for him and 400 for her. A cool moment, as I know how it feels to lose and then find an "important bird," as the gentleman described it.

And I finally got my Tufted Duck photos. I may not be traveling and chasing nearly as much as last year, and birding is much more relaxed this year, but I do enjoy the occasional chase. Next, a trip to Florida where I hope to locate the Swainson's Warbler at Fort DeSoto, and then maybe get myself a photo of a Barnacle Goose in Michigan before heading home on Sunday.