Lesser Scaup

Three Lesser Scaup flying overhead with some trees in the background.
Lesser Scaup, Fort Worth Nature Preserve River Road, Fort Worth, TX; December 30, 2021
Canon EOS 5Ds R with Tamron 150-600 mm lens; 600 mm; ISO-500; f/7.1; 1/2000 sec.

This page is for the Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis). My first photographic evidence occurred on December 30, 2021 at the Fort Worth Nature Preserve, Fort Worth, TX. These guys were pretty far away and moving pretty fast. It was difficult to identify these ducks, but based on my knowledge and the Merlin App photo identification results, I am fairly confident the id was correct.

A group of nine Lesser Scaup swimming in the open water. A field of yellow grasses is in the background.
Lesser Scaup, Bitter Lake NWR, Roswell, NM, November 9, 2022
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-800; f/11; 1/800 sec. -0.7 exposure bias.
Lesser Scaup swimming in the lake.
Lesser Scaup, Victor Braunig Lake, San Antonio, TX May 11, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-200; f/10; 1/500 sec.
Lesser Scaup swimming in the reservoir.
Lesser Scaup, Embalse de los Molinos, Fuerteventura, Canarias, Spain, July 29, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-2000; f/10; 1/2000 sec.
Lesser Scaup flapping its wings while swimming in the reservoir.
Lesser Scaup, Embalse de los Molinos, Fuerteventura, Canarias, Spain, July 29, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-2000; f/10; 1/2000 sec.
Lesser Scaup taking off from the water, looking like it is walking on the surface.
Lesser Scaup, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Austwell, TX, February 24, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 700 mm; ISO-1000; f/11; 1/2000 sec.
Two Lesser Scaups flying over the water. One is well camouflaged with the artificial water shoreline.
Lesser Scaup, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Austwell, TX, February 24, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 700 mm; ISO-320; f/11; 1/1250 sec. -1 exposure bias
Over 50 Lesser scaup flying overhead in a flock.
Lesser Scaup, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Austwell, TX, February 24, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 700 mm; ISO-160; f/11; 1/1250 sec. -1 exposure bias
Lesser Scaup swimming nearby.
Lesser Scaup, Lake Viridian, Arlington, TX, February 2, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-1000; f/11; 1/2000 sec.