This drake and two hens spent the hours I was at the river the other morning just drifting with the tide and resting. They probably only recently completed their migration from Northern Canada and Alaska. Their numbers have been in steady decline over the last several decades and why is not well understood. My guess is habitat loss and degradation; if not in the far north, at least here. They are diving ducks and their diet includes crustaceans and shell fish which are also in trouble in the Bay from poor water quality and silting. The enormous amount of sediment that ended up in the Bay after Irene and tropical storm Lee doesn't bode well in the short term either.
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