Oh darn! I drove to Eugene today (having missed the WA bird 3 years ago
whilke I was in Texas) to see my life Falcated Duck. The Samish is closer
and a lot more interesting than a pond at an RV park. But the Coburg bird
was gorgeous, and closely associating with an American Coot from whom he
would pirate food that the coot brought up to the surface.

Kristin Stewart
Olympia
kristinstewart01 at comcast.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Paulson" <nettasmith at comcast.net>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 4:03 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] Falcated Duck at Samish Island


> Hello, tweeters.
>
> Netta Smith and I watched a male FALCATED DUCK for some time this
> morning at the same spot where one was seen two (or was it three?)
> winters ago, very likely the same bird, just as the Samish Island Road
> reaches Samish Island. A huge (ca 1000) flock of American Wigeons was
> feeding in the flooded fields to the west of Samish I Rd, and I was
> trying to count the male Eurasian Wigeons in the flock (at least 20),
> and lo and behold, there was a Falcated Duck in my scope. It kept its
> head down much of the time and could easily be missed, but the
> Mallard-green head shone whenever it lifted it. With head down, it
> could be recognized by the quite pale gray back (that's what called my
> attention to it), and the falcate (sickle-shaped) tertials could be
> seen in the scope. If you get a rear view, you can see that the pale
> patch at the rear extends farther to the back than in a wigeon and is
> divided by a black line. When it lifts its big, bulky head with the
> long feathers hanging down like a Darth Vader helmet, there's no
> mistaking it.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Dennis
> -----
> Dennis Paulson & Netta Smith
> 1724 NE 98 St.
> Seattle, WA 98115
> 206-528-1382
>
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