Hi Tweeters

As a sidelight to pseudo-Smews (psmeus), most of ours in Vancouver BC seem
to be juvenile or basic-plumaged female Oldsquaws being taken for female
Smews, often in late winter or early spring as they start moving onto small
freshwater bodies adjacent to the saltchuck where we're used to seeing
them. The change of context can wreak havoc with familiarity.

As personal experience, I've learned to wait until that distant, blinding
white little psmeu on the water with the black on the head rolls back into
normal float mode and turns back into a preening male Bufflehead.

Michael Price
Vancouver BC Canada
michael_price at mindlink.bc.ca