Bufflehead ducks, the smallest sea ducks in North America, have been arriving from Canada all week. A few are tuckered out when they get here and take sunbaths.
These birds (Bucephala albeola) are fascinatingly strange. They seldom reach 16 inches in length and fly here and there in fast, low formations that make no whirring noise. When in the water, they dive almost continuously for crabs, clams, and sea plants. Yet, they nest inside tree cavities abandoned by flickers and pileated woodpeckers.
Their name refers to the black and white males, which some think are “buffalo-headed.” They have enlarged heads with a big white scoop behind the eyes that they can flex larger to make their heads resemble (somewhat) those of American “buffalos” (“bison” to quibblers). The smaller-headed females are darker overall with just a dabbed white streak behind the eyes. (Leighton archive images taken in Brooklin, Maine.)