A few more detils on the Tufted Duck I saw earlier today. It was at the end of High St in Cambridge, MD near the circle at the end of High St. There is a small wooden bridge that you can walk onto the metal dock/pier. The Tufted Duck was to the left of the wooded bridge and in the area enclosed by the docks. One male Surf Scoter, one female Long-tailed Duck, one male Bufflehead, 15 Lesser Scaup, and a few Mallards were with it. 

The conditions were overcast and raining and first seen about 70 yards away. I got within 40 yards of it and stopped there so as not to spoke it. The Tufted Duck was relatively easy to spot with its much darker back. Even in the rain the tuft was visible. The tuft was about 2/3 to 3/4 the length you would expect. The flanks are grayish white with a darker gray area on the rear of the left side flank. The bill was similar to a scaup but the black nail was prominent .  

I did not see the Ring-necked Duck that was with the Tufted Duck when it was first located. 




Thanks to the org inal finder Harvey Handley  who saw it on 12/26/08 and Jim Morrin who saw it on 01/05/09.   


Location:     Cambridge - Choptank River 
Observation date:     1/6/09 

These counts are probably low because I did not scan far out into the Choptank River due to the rain.  
Canada Goose     25 
Tundra Swan     3 
American Wigeon     20 
American Black Duck     1 
Mallard     65 
Canvasback     750 
Redhead     1 
Tufted Duck     1 
Greater Scaup     40 
Lesser Scaup     200 
Greater/Lesser Scaup     200 
Surf Scoter     50 
Long-tailed Duck     6 
Bufflehead     15 
Common Goldeneye     10 
Turkey Vulture     1 
Ring-billed Gull     70 
Herring Gull     3 
Great Black-backed Gull     2 
Rock Pigeon     50 
Song Sparrow     2 

Joe Hanfman 

Columbia, MD