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January 2

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Places to Visit and Explore Nature in Stanley Park Ecosystem Guides: Lake Stanley Park Visitor Map: with Park Features, Trails, and Destinations Lost Lagoon

Lesser Scaup Two species of scaup, the greater and lesser, are common winter residents in Stanley Park. Scaup are a type of bay duck which includes all five members of the genus Aythya. The term bay duck is appropriate for this group as all members spend the winter on sheltered coastal waters. One of Stanley Park's winter wildlife events is the gathering of scaup on Lost Lagoon. They come in from their marine feeding areas around Burrard Inlet to use Lost Lagoon's sheltered waters as a resting area. The birds come and go with the tides but numbers tend to build before dusk, typically between 3:00 and 4:30 PM with flight after flight arriving at 2-10 minute intervals. Flocks of 40-120 birds come in low over the Stanley Park causeway to land and settle on the Lagoon for the night. Lesser scaup outnumber greater scaup on Lost Lagoon. Telling the two species apart is one of the measures of an accomplished birdwatcher. Lost Lagoon has to be one of the best places in the world to watch both species at very close range. A trend is becoming apparent as scaup numbers on Lost Lagoon have fallen considerably over the ten year period from 1998 - 2008. It is disturbing to think that since both scaup species breed in the Arctic tundra with breeding ranges extending beyond the Arctic Circle that the drop in numbers could be related to the phenomena of global warming.       Field Guide Entry: Lesser Scaup

Stanley Park Explorer http://www.stanleyparkexplorer.ca Produced by Peter Woods naturalist@stanleyparkexplorer.ca           Revised: May 20, 2011