Subject: Bird ID?
Date: Aug 13 22:39:49 2004
From: Melissa Nelson - menelson2001 at hotmail.com


Tweeters,

I was at Golden Garden wetland (also called Golden Garden pond) in Ballard this evening around 7:30 pm when I saw an amazing looking duck. It was the size of a mallard and had the same colored bill (or is it beaK?) as a mallard. It also had the same head shape and bill shape as a Mallard. the overall coloring was dark and shimmery it changed as the light hit it, from dark green to violet to blue to almost black. Generally I would say it was a dark blue. there was small tips of brown and white on what I think would be the primaries (I did not see the bird in flight) as they are folded in. the head was a similar dark shimmery green as on a male mallard. It was smooth with NO crest or anything like that. There was a very small white spot on the top back of the head. the eye was black. the legs are black. the bottom appeared to be dark as well, but like I said I did not see it out of the water. Also it did have that little feather that curls up on the back tail feathers.

I was very close to it. and watched it for about 25 minutes. Beautiful bird no matter what it is.

This might be a common bird but I did not see anything like it in my Sibley book or my Audubon book. I would love to know what it is.

Thank you for your time,

Melissa Nelson
Edmonds
menelson2001 at hotmail.com<mailto:menelson2001 at hotmail.com>