Martin,

I have a breeding season sight record of a male Eurasian Wigeon from a
partially ice-free lake besides the Dempster Highway in the Blackstone
Uplands of the southern Ogilvie Mountains north of Dawson City, Yukon. The
date was 27 May 1993. This bird could not be relocated at this site a week
later 2 June, so I suspect it moved north, as it was with other migrant
ducks (Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, (1),
Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, Canvasback, Redhead (1, scarce this far
north), Ring-necked Duck, both Greater and Lesser Scaup, Harlequin Duck,
Oldsquaw, Surf and White-winged Scoter, Barrow's Goldeneye, and
Red-breasted Merganser. It certainly seems plausible Eurasian Wigeons breed
in North America, but this is all the evidence I have for this on this
continent.

By the way, driving the 700 km Dempster "Highway," actually a one-lane
gravel road from the Klondike gold fields to the MacKenzie River delta
almost on the Arctic Ocean at Inuvik is a marvelous experience (several
birdwatching tour companies now "Do" this trip). Best time is before
mid-June. If you do it yourself, be certain you have at least two extra
spare tires (sharp shale comprises the road bed, as there is only one
repair station on the highway (in the middle at Eagle Plains, but not a
horrible place to be stranded as there are Gray-cheeked Thrushes in the
area and marvelous views north to the Richardson Mountains).

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at wolfenet.com

----------
> From: Martin J. Muller <MartinMuller at email.msn.com>
> To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Subject: RFI: Eurasian Wigeon breeding record for NA
> Date: Saturday, February 12, 2000 9:46 PM
>
> Tweeters,
>
> I'm hoping the considerable expertise on tweeters can help me out.
>
> I'm under the distinct impression I read a report somewhere that there
was a
> report of a Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) breeding on the North
American
> continent.
>
> I searched my personal library for corroborative material but find none.
Can
> anyone out there help me out? Please?
>
> Martin Muller, Seattle
> MartinMuller at email.msn.com
>
>