Good morning, tweeters!
I'm a frequent lurker here but seldom post anything--mostly because I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. But this week we're visiting in Seattle. A couple of days ago I met a birder, Mike Fleming, at Discovery Park. He alerted me to a Eurasian Wigeon at Green Lake. This morning I got out early and went to Green Lake. I parked in the north parking lot (by Green Lake Drive and Latona Avenue). A few minutes later, I found a beautiful male EURASIAN WIGEON on the lawn, feeding with dozens of American Wigeons.
There was also an odd wigeon, possibly a hybrid AMWIxEUWI, with an entirely yellowish-buffy head (not white on the forehead and gray on the cheek) except for a bright green mask. Otherwise the plumage was typical AMWI. Has anyone else seen this bird? Any opinions?
Other species seen, in no particular order: Amer./Northwestern (?) Crows, Glaucous-winged Gulls, Mew Gulls, a few Ring-billed Gulls and a few Thayers' Gulls, Mallards, Northern Shovelers, Common Mergansers, Double-crested Cormorants, Amer. Coots, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Goldeneye, Eur. Starlings, House Sparrows, Amer. Robins, Amer. Goldfinches and Rock Pigeons.
Happy holidays and good birding to all,
David White