King Eider (Somateria spectabilis)
Saturday I was lucky enough to see a King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) among a large flock of Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) along the Cape Cod Canal. King Eiders are an arctic duck, and are uncommon this far south, so seeing this individual was a fairly rare opportunity. This particular male King Eider in the Canal was in his full breeding plumage: a spectacular looking bright red bill topped with an orangey-yellow swollen knob, combined with a blueish-grey head, a yellowish…