I also used to wonder why so many people misspell "wigeon", but then,
looking through some old guides, I learned that the spelling USED to be
"widgeon". In Peterson's 1941 guide to western birds, for instance, he
includes the "European Widgeon", but still calls the American Wigeon the
"Baldpate". Names do change. Confusing wigeon and widgeon doesn't seem
to be a particularly greivous error, sort of like the older birders
among us slipping up sometimes and calling a Northern Harrier a Marsh
Hawk. Names do change. However, I think it does indicate a certain
lack of seriousness (my definition of it, anyway) when birders who no
longer are beginners can't be bothered to learn the correct names and/or
spellings for birds. "Stellar Jay" just about drives me crazy.

Rachel Lawson
Seattle
RachelWL at msn.com




-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Kelly
McAllister
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 5:16 PM
To: tweeters
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Greenlake widgeons


Yeah, good question. I've been looking at thousands of wigeons the past
several days and haven't identified a single female Eurasian Wigeon,
though I had a couple of male Eurasian Wigeons. The differences in the
females are subtle enough that I don't think I'll ever have the time to
scrutinize the birds close enough to pick one out (well, maybe when I'm
retired).

In any case, that my worthless input. I really just posted this note to
remind birders that one of the most commonly mispelled birds names is
wigeon. It has no "d".

Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Olympia, Washington
Reply to: mcallisters4 at comcast.net

----- Original Message -----
From: Brendan <mailto:frogdude at gmail.com> Higgins
To: tweeders post address <mailto:tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 3:57 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] Greenlake widgeons

Today at lunch there were Three male Eurasian widgeons with all the
American widgeons. I was wondering how you tell female widgeons apart.
thanks

Brendan Higgins
Seattle WA
Frogdude at gmail.com



_____




_______________________________________________
Tweeters mailing list
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters