Today in Nature: The Winter Ducks are Here!

November 6th: November is a yucky month for many reasons, but one of the things I like about it is that the winter ducks have started to arrive. This wonderful creature is a Hooded Merganser. The male is the show-off on the right, while his cinnamon-coloured mate on the left has tucked her head into her feathers to avoid the rain. These guys spent the summer way up north, and for them, Toronto is a great place to pass the winter. With luck, the oldsquaws will start arriving soon, another winter favourite.

Today in Nature: Some Northern Shovellers Passing Through

November 3rd: As the winter gloom descends, here's something new in the neighbourhood: there's a flock of Northern Shovelers in High Park right now. They are smaller than mallards, and have a cool, wide bill. They use it to strain water so they can suck in plankton, insects and other small life forms. Dozens of them have stopped by on Grenadier Pond before continuing their flight south for the winter.

Shovellers spend a lot of time with their heads
 in the water, spinning in circles.

A Female Northern Shoveller.