I suggest that Michael Price consult Jewett et al Birds of Washington
State pages l08-ll0, University of Washington Press, l953 before he
casts doubts whether that bird reported in the area is a wild bird. It
has been recorded in Washington before. Jewett states that it is a rare
winter visitor. A hunter shot a specimen at Stanwood Jan.l, l922.
Another bird was shot at Padilla Bay west of Mt. Vernon In l923. Still
another bird was seen and photographed by many residents of Seattle in
the winter of l947-48. A Mrs. Booth started to feed the bird when it was
first seen and it became quite tame. So tame that photographs were
taken of it within 5 ft. He goes on to say in view of the fact there are
many more specimens collected in Oregon and California, it seems odd
that this conspicuous visitor from the north has been recorded so
infrequently in Washington. Gabrielson and Jewett, Birds of Oregon,
Oregon State College, l940, Page l29. States that since l920, there have
been a number of specimens taken in various places in western Oregon
and has been taken frequently in the Sacramento Valley and at Tulelake.
They go on to say that they usually arrive as single birds mingling with
other species or in small bands of 3 to 6, and their occurrence was
increasing in recent years. Now, there are a heck of a lot more
observors now than 40-50 years ago so it would stand that since then,
more observations are being made. Being a waterfowl biologist for many
years, including at the Sacramento Valley N.W.Refuge Complex and also
the Klamath Basin Complex N.W.Refuge (which included Tule Lake) and
visited a number of gun clubs in those areas on a regular basis, I'm not
surprised at all about waterfowl occurrences. Also, Bellrose, Frank.
Ducks geese and Swans of North America, Stackpole Books, Harrisburg,
Pa., l976, l978, l980, Pages l37-l38 states it is a rare but rather
consistent winter visitor to the Pacific Northwest. A few have been
observed as far south as Los Angeles County. Makes me wonder if people
so sure in making statements don't consult old records or the
literature. For my money the Sequim bird is a wild bird and not an
escapee from some aviary.