Subject: Portage Bay Redhead
Date: Feb 24 20:52:38 2003
From: kjandrich at netscape.net - kjandrich at netscape.net



Hi Tweeters Birders,

I can't believe I almost missed ID'ing a Redhead duck... My coworkers and I often hang out behind South Campus Center on UW campus on gorgeous days like today. There was a red headed duck that didn't register too well with me but as I walked back to my job after lunch I was thinking that wasn't a Eurasion Widgeon. So I thought maybe a hybrid but... Luckily for my sort of belated curiousity I had my binoculars in my locker and I went and rechecked this duck out after work. It matched the field marks in the National Geographic Guide I keep with my binos. The uniformly red head, the body coloration similar to the Canvassback, the black nail on the bill, then the white strip and the blue bill. I have been known to try and make Canvassbacks into Redheads before so I am a little unconfident about the ID just because of this.

A probable non coincidence is I ran into a fellow birder who attends the Birders Brown Bag Lunch on campus and although this was a ways away from the duck he was going to check this bird out. Anyone else who is on campus or you fill(ophiles) who care to please check this one out, I would love the reassurance this the real deal! It is off of Columbia Road on campus behind the South Campus Center. There is a dock and some outbuildings on the water. I plan to be there tomorrow with my binos about 12:30 if anyone cares to join me. Not hard to pick out the birder... This is the best look I have ever had of a Redhead as well. It is NOT shy.

Thanks everyone, isn't birding an interesting thing sometimes? You just never know.

Kathy

Kathy Andrich
Roosting in Renton
kjandrich at netscape.net


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