Greetings All,
First of all, duck numbers were halved on Panama Res when compared with those of Thursday, and there were but 3 gulls present, all Ring-billeds. The Firestone Ponds, or as I like to call them, Firestone Gravel Pits, had a hybrid Tufted Duck x Lesser Scaup, most likely immature male. This is the exact same pond at which I found an adult female Tufted Duck in December, and it is hard to imagine that today's bird is not the progeny of that gal Tufty. So, description below. Abbreviations are: TUDU- Tufted Duck, LESC- Lesser Scaup, RNDU- Ring-necked Duck Scaup-liked duck. Head entirely glossy dark brown (unlike flat brown head color of female scaup or Tufted Ducks). Head smallish and round with small tuft from rear crown. No "peak" as typical of LESC and visible in all nearby LESC. Bird slightly smaller than LESC. Bill with black tip, absolutely typical of TUDU, but minimal to no white subterminal band on bill. Rest of bill blue-gray. Back brown, but not blackish brown of RNDU or TUDU; not quite as pale as that of nearby female-type scaup. Sides Blotchy brown and gray, with more gray towards waterline. Underparts white. Inside of mouth pink. Legs grayish (yes, I watched this bird for a long while). Underwing during single flap with some dark markings; per Sibley, typical of scaup, atypical of TUDU, which should be more pristine white on underwings. Vent white, contrasting with sides. No dark "strap" separating vent from sides. Eye yellow-orange, similar to that of adult male LESC nearby. Size would indicate Lesser as scaup parent. Best Wishes Steven Mlodinow Longmont CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
