Hi Tweeters

Yes, the duck was seen today. Birders were ready with their scopes at the
base of Samish Island this morning overlooking the flooded fields between
8:30 and 9:00am. Evidently either a car misfired or there were three gun
shots....whatever, the end result was the same...all the ducks in the fields
flushed and headed over the dike to the bay. The Falcated duck had not been
located before they flushed. The ducks were very reluctant to return to the
flooded field. Several of us decided to try our luck finding the Great Grey
Owl on Smaish Point Road....many tried throughout the day but no luck in
locating the owl by mid-day. Ducks has still not returned to the flooded
field by mid morning. A couple from California drove by and told the
assembled crowd that they had walked the dike (accessed from the West 90)
and found the Falcated Duck in the rafts of Wigeons on Padilla Bay. We all
drove to the West 90 parking area and walked the ditch out to the dike and
spread out the scopes looking for the duck (birders in the assembled group
were from British Columbia, Olympia, Bellingham, Walla Walla and Seattle).
After 30 to 40 minutes of searching the large flocks of Wigeon, Carolyn
Eagan spottted the Falcated Duck making the group quite happy. It was
located at about 12 noon about 100 to 200 yards from the dike. It was seen
in great light and we were all able to watch it for at least a half hour
before the ducks flushed. It spent most of its time preening and some of
it feeding. Other birders were arriving about that time and I believe that
they were able to loacate the bird as it had not gone far.

Yes...it was worth the trip!

Mary Anne Thorbeck
maryannethorbeck at attbi.com
Seattle

----- Original Message -----
From: "ian paulsen" <ipaulsen at krl.org>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2002 2:14 PM
Subject: Falcated Duck


> HI:
> Has anyone seen the Falcated Duck today??
>
> Ian Paulsen
> Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
> ipaulsen at krl.org
> A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
> "Rallidae all the way"
>
>