Tweeters,

I find Mike Patterson's suggestion the most plausible explanation. BTW, a
male Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca crecca - has been seen regularly on the
Yakima River in the Tri-Cities this winter.

Dennis Rockwell Kennewick, WA dennis.rockwell at gte.net

One fifth of the people are against everything all the time.
Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968)



-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Patterson <celata at pacifier.com>
To: greg.toffic at zoo.org <greg.toffic at zoo.org>
Cc: tweeters at u.washington.edu <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Thursday, March 15, 2001 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: Common teal explosion


>It could be observer effect. With the recent splitting of
>Common Teal by the BOU and the likelihood that the AOU will
>follow, more people are spending time sorting through Green-
>wings...
>
>
>
>Greg Toffic wrote:
>>
>> Tweeters,
>> Will anyone speculate as to why there have been so many common teal
(Eurasian green-winged teal) reported in Western Washington this year? I'm
aware of at least 6 males seen in the past couple of weeks. One each at
Edmonds Marsh, Montlake Fill, Gorst Creek, Marymoor Park, and two at Blaine
Harbor. Have we just been overlooking them in the past? Any explanations?
>>
>> Greg
>>
>> Greg Toffic
>> Curator of Birds
>> Woodland Park Zoo
>> 5500 Phinney Avenue North
>> Seattle, WA 98103
>> (206) 684-4836 (Desk)
>> (206) 233-7278 (Fax)
>> greg.toffic at zoo.org
>
>--
>Mike Patterson Alas, to wear the mantle of Galileo,
>Astoria, OR it is not enough to be persecuted
>celata at pacifier.com by an unkind establishment,
> you must also be right.
> ---Robert Park
>http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html