Dennis' question about Barrow's Goldeneye populations prompted me to ask
my question. I commute every day by Ronald Bog, a "pond" of
approximately 7-8 acres I suppose, at the intersection of I-5 and NE
175th (Shoreline area). I always take a quick look at the birds, and
right now one can be rewarded with excellent views of handsome
shovellers, the usual mallards, lots of American Wigeons and at least
one Eurasian Wigeon, a very tame Downy Woodpecker, one Redwinged
Blackbird, a selection of wonderfully weird domestic hybrid ducks and
geese, a few Ruddies and what looked like an immature Double Crested
Cormorant (does that seem likely?). There is at least one B.Goldeneye there
right now, in fact.

Also there as of last week, were four big very black ducks with
irridescent green heads, curled tail feathers like a mallard,
ivorish-bluish-pale yellow DUCK-shaped beaks, no protuberances around the
bill such as a scoter would have, and none of the strange apparatus found
on Moscovies. I suppose that these are some sort of dumped or escaped
domestic/exotics; anyone care to speculate? They showed up all of a
sudden, together, and, in fact, I have not been able to spot them this
week (but I haven't stopped to look the last few days).

At any rate, despite its rather off-putting name, Ronald Bog is a delight
on the morning and evening commute, affording close views of a surprising
variety of home bodies and migrants.

Glenda Pearson
Suzzallo Library