Date: 5/10/13 6:01 pm
From: Jim Stasz <jlstasz...>
Subject: Re: [MDBirding] American Black Ducks at Lilypons or not
Nice pix! One clearly a Mallard and the other probably a Mallard. It could also be a Mallard x (Mallard x Black Duck). Neither is an American Black Duck. I hope anyone who eBirded these as Black Ducks goes in and changes them.

Jim

Jim Stasz
North Beach MD
<Jlstasz...>

Balestri Marcia <mebalestri...> wrote:

>While I seem to have everyone's attention and am being contrary tonight ;-) �..
>
>On Wednesday, when we were looking for the Red Phalarope at Lilypons, there were 2 ducks in the shorebird pond next to the river. I didn't look at them very closely (although, I did think one looked odd for a female Mallard, but hey, it's a Mallard) and I recorded them both as Mallards (MALL), as I saw white on the speculum of what I will call the female duck and I didn't think they were dark enough for American Black Ducks (ABDUs). I noticed later that evening everyone else that was there that day (and subsequent days) recorded them as ABDUs. So, I took a a better look at them today, since I couldn't figure out why I missed the call so badly. I am assuming they are the same ducks as Wednesday (looked like it to me). Both were sitting in the same pond, and indeed the "female" was showing white in a sitting position, so I took a photo (1st pix below, duck in front). I could only see blue on what I will call the male (assuming they were a breeding pair). I was thinking one of each--female MALL, male ABDU. However, later they flew, Bob got a couple of quick shots off, and both ducks showed white, although the "male" appears to just show white below the speculum and not above (rest of the photos).
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>So to the experts--do we have a MALL and a hybrid? Aberrant ABDUs? Two hybrids? Or what?
>Apologies for the not great photos.
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>____________________
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>Marcia Balestri
>Frederick, MD
><mebalestri...>
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