Michael,

There was a very detailed analysis of identification of female teals in
Birding magazine a year or so ago.

Gene.

On Thu, 27 Oct 1994, Michael Price wrote:

> Hi Tweeters
>
> There's a confirmed *WHITE-WINGED DOVE* at a feeder at 346 HOLLY CRSC in
> Ucluelet on the W coast of Vancouver Island. It's been there since Sunday,
> Oct 23. Should you want to twitch this bird, please call the CHRISTIANSENS
> at (604) 726-2713. They have graciously said birders are *welcome* to see
> this bird. This species is accidental or very rare *anywhere* in Canada.
>
> Inevitably, the question arises: is it a wild bird? Well, it does like to
> cut loose a little on Saturday nights--no, no, I mean, its appearance does
> follow the known pattern of vagrancy along the Pacific Coast (July--Feb)
> according to Don Roberson in his Rare Birds of the West Coast.
>
> Also, to piggyback a query, does anyone have a relatively foolproof way of
> separating female Garganey from female Green-winged Teal with sometimes
> equally-strong facial markings? And what's with these female Mallards with
> whitish heads and grey stripes identical to female Garganey? Is this
> pattern of head striping generic to female 'Anas' ducks?
>
>
> Still with ducks, Vancouver BC got its first Tufted Duck (an adult female)
> on Tues. Oct 25, about a week-plus-change after California, Oregon, and
> Washington got their first birds. Is this a regular phenom. of timing?
> Locally, it's often that way with the first arriving southbound passerines
> such as Fox, Lincoln's, and Golden-crowned Sparrows, that they show up at
> coastal locations sometimes a week or two before sites even just a few
> kilometers inland start getting them.
>
>
> Michael Price
> Vancouver BC Canada
> michael_price at mindlinl.bc.ca
>
>