Hey tweets, I just floated home after 2 hours of watching the TUFTED
DUCK feed only 15 feet or so from shore almost at the tip of East
Point in Waterlily Cove at Montlake Fill. It's a male TUDU with quite
a long tuft and black back, just a classic Tufted Duck straight out
of the bird books. He was there until two Bald Eagles flew by, scaring
all the ducks into a frenzy. The Tufted flew off to the west and
landed in the waters off the crew house. He'll be a lot harder to see
there, especially as you'll be looking into the sun. However, I have
good hopes that he will return to East Point later this afternoon (and
perhaps tomorrow morning) to feed some more. He was *very* happy there
for hours this morning, eating a lot and preening from time to time.
He took a short nap in company with a male REDHEAD, just as a
TRUMPETER SWAN flew into the cove, and a EURASIAN WIGEON sailed by. A
few minutes later, as I was walking along the Loop Trail, a PILEATED
WOODPECKER flew right over my head, its white patches gleaming in the
sun, its red head on fire in the light. I'm thinking about hopping a
plane to Reno to bet on the craps tables this afternoon. I am shot
with luck today, apparently, and how often does *that* ever happen to
a person?

The Tufted Duck was at times so close to shore that I could see every
raggedy feather of his tuft. Something I did not know: He can control
his tuft. Sometimes he would stick it out from his head, other times
he would flatten it against his head and neck. Sometimes he would make
his tuft smooth; other times he let it get ragged. Before he dove, he
would always flatten it so tightly he looked like a regular duck, not
the exotic stranger he really is. Every so often, he would fling his
tuft around from side to side, like a pony tail.

When I first saw him, he was accompanied by a female Lesser Scaup, who
stuck so close to him I thought they might be a mated pair. But
another female scaup came up and bit the first one, and while they
were settling the argument, the Tufted stranger paddled off to hook up
with a female Ring-necked Duck. The gigolo. He seems to exert almost a
mystical fascination on our local girls. He certainly did on me. -
Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com
www.constancypress.com
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