This pair of wintering Bufflehead was diving and scooting around the pond at the Nevada County fairgrounds when I stopped to take a walk yesterday. I enjoyed watching them swim and dive for half an hour. They were moving around a lot faster than the Mallards and Canada Geese. There were a couple of other Buffleheads on the pond as well, but I noticed that they were staying on the opposite side of the pond, which was about fifty yards wide.

In this photo you can see how very small these ducks are compared to this Canada Goose. They also have a large head relative to the size of their body. I think they are the cutest duck, and worthy of modeling for a child’s stuffed toy.