Well, this? is a terrible way to start a new subscription, but
today at Ridgefield NWR, I saw this http://flic.kr/p/bC4rrh?female
Ruddy Duck with something around her entire body and
neck. She was far enough away from me (and backlit) that I did not see the
object until I put the images on my computer tonight. It's preventing her
from feeding properly. Her approximate location is detailed on the above
image on my flickr page.

First thing in the morning, I'll be
calling Ridgefield NWR about it.

On a lighter note, while I was
trying to catch a Red-Winged Blackbird on my digital "film," an
American Bittern emerged less than 15 feet from the car
http://flic.kr/p/bQXZVr?. Lucky
I had the camera strap around my neck or I may have dropped the camera out
the window!

Amy Hill
Kalama, WA