Hi --

When Barry and I (and couple other birders) were looking at the BB Whistling Duck  Monday evening, it was with the geese and mallards and (as many have noted) taking tidbits of food thrown at it. Mark Hoffman was taking photos and he joked about "having to back up" to keep it in focus. A bit suspicious, as Norm says....but...

The duck and a couple of Canada Geese then swam under the bridge to the little enclosed cove. We all walked to the other side of the bridge, Mark still taking photos, and we were all leaning over and talking a bit loudly. The geese (and duck) started to swim back towards us. The geese continued under the bridge, ignoring us -- the duck stopped, turned sideways, looked nervous, cocked its head up and looked at us for several seconds, and then swam as fast as it could -- which was about twice as fast as it had been swimming -- under the bridge, and when it got to the other side, flew about 150 feet away towards the gazebo area.

I don't know if it meant anything, but to me it was not acting like a completely tame bird at that time. It may have felt "trapped" in the cove area, as after the geese swam away, it was the only waterfowl present. While in the flock, it acted like the other birds and seemed to ignore the many people present.

Waterfowl can be pretty challenging to a records committee!

Gail Mackiernan
Colesville, MD

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Norm Saunders <>
> The whistling-duck was still at the Rio Road area of the Washingtonian La> ke 
> last evening about 5:30.  We ran into Duvall Sollers and J.B. Churchill > 
> ther as well.  This bird is so tame...it does make one suspicious.
> 
> Best,
> Norm Saunders
> ==================
> Colesville, MD
> 
>