Greetings All
So, I wandered around the Latham area, then past Woods/Angel Lake + Windsor Res... then LUNA, Union, and the Firestone Gravel Pits The highlight was a spiffy AMERICAN BLACK DUCK x MALLARD intergrade at the Firestone Gravel Pits (the same pond in which the RN Grebes resided this spring). I must say, that I'd been more excited if it was all American, so to speak, but ... it was still interesting. It look rather like a Mexican Duck, but there are not internal markings on the body feathers. The sides are edges in a bit of buff, so the bird as a whole is a bit paler than a pure Am Black Duck, about the color of a dark Mexican Duck. However, Mexican Ducks would have internal markings in their body feathers. Also, the contrast between head/neck and body is less than that of Mexi Duck. Why wasn't it an Am Black Duck: Two partly upcurled tail feathers were the biggest hint. A bit to much chestnut edging on sides. Tail feather with a hint of white edging (okay in Mexi Duck, not in Am Black Duck). The speculum was purplish with narrow white edging. No green on head. However, MEXICAN DUCKS were to be found, one male at Stewarts' Pond, where it has been for a week or two. Another was at the southern end of Woods Lake, a lake that is large, hard to find birds at, and dangerous to bird because of road traffic. At Union, there was an adult Ross's x Snow Goose and an immature with it. There was also a Ross's x Cackling Goose and a Blue Snow Goose x Cackling Goose along with > 300 Red-breasted Mergs. At the edge of Lower Latham, there was a rather late male CINNAMON TEAL. At the corner of WCR 46 and 41, the pond held 11 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 7 WILSON'S SNIPE and 2 LB DOWITCHERS Angel Lake was devoid of birds. I wasn't going to bird Windsor Res, but the birds were collected at the south end 6000 or so Cacklers (without a hybrid!!!) and 2000 or so Common Mergs was most impressive. There was also on adult LBB Gull. Good Birding Steve Mlodinow -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/8D0B47C5B30266B-192C-46506%40webmail-m215.sysops.aol.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
