Kelly,

I'm thinking male Hooded Merganser.

Will post this question on an International Birding Blog and see what
others think.

Cheers,
Robert Pisano / Seattle


On Feb 15, 2008, at 12:46 PM, Kelly McAllister wrote:

> Here's what I've received from various Tweeters:
> ?
> Domestic hybrid Mallard?
> Female Common Merganser
> wigeon
> Horned Grebe, Common Goldeneye, or Merganser
> Western Grebe (two votes)
> American Wigeon based on head (but wing like a Redhead's)
> ?
> I initially thought it was a female Common Merganser. A co-worker
> suggested Western Grebe, in part based on the apparent legs at the
> extreme posterior end of the body. The legs look yellowish though
> which isn't right for Western Grebe, is it? The whitish primaries are
> puzzling as well. When I first looked at it and thought of female
> Common Merganser, I was imagining a chesnut brown color, representing
> the bird's head, up by the yellow feet of the eagle. However, when
> Western Grebe was suggested, I pondered whether the large white
> oval-shaped area in the middle of the bird's back is actually its head
> hanging down over its back. The problem with that interpretation is
> the break in the white as you look between the shoulders of the bird.
> Frankly, I don't know what the big white oval is. To me, it also looks
> too robust for a Western Grebe.
> ?
> Obviously, I don't know what it is. Maybe I need to find a phone
> number for Jeff Reed and see if he has other pictures or a higher
> resolution version of this one.
> ?
> Interestingly, I found a different picture of what I'm quite certain
> is the same event. It's at the following link (and it makes me more
> confused than ever):
> ?
> http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/myseattlepix/photo.asp?
> photoID=1008602
> ?
> Oh well, it's fun... I guess.
> ?
> Kelly McAllister
> Olympia, Washington_______________________________________________
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> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
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