Today I had the pleasure of being at the Fill when Connie spotted the Tufted Duck. It was a life list addition for me.

Connie and I?were chatting?while we watched?a Redhead that was close to shore. The Redhead was close to a group of Scaups. That was nice enough, but suddenly Connie jumped up. I can't remember exactly what she said but it was in amazement. Part of it was "...Tufted Duck"!!! There with the Scaups was a classic Tufted Duck. The sun was in our eyes, and this actually helped. This revealed the long tuft in sillouette. Fortunately the bird was very bold so we continued to get great views. We were able to show it to some nonbirders who were nearby. They could see the tuft clearly. What a nice way to enjoy today's sun!

Mark Vernon
Renton, WA
mailto ma_vern at yahoo.com