Tag Archives: Harlequin Duck

Harlequin Duck, October 21, 2022

Harlequin Duck and American Coots

Harlequin Duck and American Coots (click to see the larger version)

The female type Harlequin Duck seen at Foster Avenue a couple days ago wandered over to Montrose on October 21 (Foster Avenue is about a mile from Montrose). The bird hung out with the American Coots that have taken up residence at the east end of the beach and inside the fishing pier. It didn’t stay long and flew back west after a few minutes. Maybe it didn’t like keeping company with the pedestrian coots. Harlequin Ducks are rare but regular visitors to the inshore waters of Lake Michigan in late fall, winter, and early spring. This sighting is a reminder that waterfowl season is here and you should start checking Lake Michigan for scoters and other ducks.

Harlequin Duck, Piping Plover, and Swainson’s Thrush, November 8, 2018

Harlequin Duck

Harlequin Duck (click to see the larger version)

I spent a couple hours at Montrose on Thursday, November 8. The female type Harlequin Duck was inside the fishing pier and the Piping Plover continues on the beach. The Plover has been present for 3 weeks now. My best passerine was a very late Swainson’s Thrush near the Magic Hedge. A strange mix of birds for November. I ended up with 43 species for my effort. Link to my eBird checklist for the day below.

eBird Checklist
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49754515

Harlequin Duck, Black Scoters, Red-necked Grebe, Piping Plover, and Baird’s Sandpipers, November 4, 2018

Baird's Sandpiper

Baird’s Sandpiper (click to see the larger version)

I wasn’t even going to bird this morning (November 4) because of rain in the forecast, but when I looked out my window at 7:30 I saw no rain, so I grabbed my gear and headed over to Montrose. I tallied a whopping 20 species for my effort, unimpressive even by early November standards. But, BUT, 25% of that tally consisted of good birds – Harlequin Duck (off the end of the fishing pier, found by Krzysztof Kurlyowicz), Black Scoter (2 flybys, found by Steve Huggins), Red-necked Grebe (flyby), Piping Plover, and Baird’s Sandpiper. The Baird’s (2 juveniles) represent one of the latest records of this species for Montrose, continuing the trend for late birds started by the Piping Plover.

It’s hard to go wrong in November.

Link to my eBird checklist for the day below.

eBird Checklist
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49669117

Harlequin Duck, March 28, 2016

Harlequin Duck

Harlequin Duck, with Red-breasted Mergansers (click to see the larger version)

The female Harlequin Duck reported on March 27 was still at Montrose this
morning, March 28. It was consorting with a group of Red-breasted Mergansers on the lake side of the Fishhook Pier, but after a few minutes it flew to the very end of the pier where it remained until I left. Harlequin Ducks are rare and irregular visitors to Montrose. BTW, the scientific name of Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus histrionicus, is an allusion to the boldly patterned plumage of the males.