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Subject:

Eurasian Wigeon - Saturday

From:

Nancy Magnusson

Reply-To:

Nancy Magnusson

Date:

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:33:36 -0500

Hi, all -

I found the female Eurasian Wigeon at about noon today. I posted some really crappy photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/34312269@N04/. This was the 4th (!) time I'd stopped at the pond this morning; the others were unsuccessful. I was sitting in the car scanning when I all of sudden said, "Whoa, there she is." After 3 failed attempts, I must admit I wasn't expecting her, which is why I scanning from the car. I took some photos out the window (without checking the camera settings), called Frank M, who I'd run into earlier in the day. And then a herring gull plopped down too close, flushing her and two male American Wigeons - they flew toward the bay. I sat around for about 10 minutes, hoping they'd come back, but they didn't. I had never seen a female version of this duck, and you never really know how much they'll stick out until you see it for real. She was much more obvious in life than she looks in these photos. That being said, if anyone feels my imagination got the better of me, please notify the list so folks don't get their hopes up. I know a lot of other folks were looking today. What really stuck out besides the brown head was the head shape - I don't know if that's "real" or just how she was today. Anyway - thanks, Mikey - I studied your photos before I went chasing...

Other eastern shore stuff - I left work yesterday afternoon, heading east, to get out of the snow. I should have checked the wind forecast.  :)  Of interest to me were a group of 10 Greater Yellowlegs on Elliott Island as well as an adult Black-Crowned Night-Heron. The Short-Eareds didn't show up to relieve the harriers at dusk - oh, well.

Saturday at the Inlet - I checked here 3 times today. The middle time, I found the pair of Harlequin Ducks on the other side of the jetty hanging around with about 20 Black Ducks. Interestingly, 20 Black Ducks outnumbered the sum total of all the other ducks, mergansers, scoters, and eiders I saw there. Also there, 8 Surf Scoters, 1 Black Scoter, a pair of Common Eiders, both loons, Purple Sandpipers...

33rd St - 2 male Common Goldeneye were the only things of interest to me...

I can't think of anything else of interest, but I'm sure eBird will let me know if there's something I forgot. I'll post a couple better pictures of more common things later to make up for the sucky wigeon shots!

Cheers,
Nancy Magnusson
Ellicott City, MD