If it matters the Seneca Yacht Club is different than the Geneva Boat and Beach
Club. The Yacht Club is off 96a at the mouth of the Seneca Canal across from
the far end of the state park and the Boat and Beach Club is I'm guessing 3
miles south of Geneva on 14 on the west side of the lake. Excellent sightings.
Sent from my Galaxy
Original message From: Jay McGowan Date:
2/20/21 7:17 PM (GMT-05:00) To: Cayugabirds-L ,
nysbird...@cornell.edu Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Seneca Lake Tufted duck and
Aythya hybrids After an absence of over two weeks, an adult male TUFTED DUCK
reappeared on Seneca Lake yesterday, found at the Seneca Yacht Club at the
northeast corner of the lake by Dave Kennedy. It was not there this morning,
but presumably the same bird was refound by Tim Lenz down along the west side
of the lake south of Geneva. My checklist with photos and the exact location
here:https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S82004482While I was searching for the
Tufted earlier in the morning, I came across a nice variety of Aythya hybrids
in the several thousand ducks at the north end of the lake. First, a
RING-NECKED DUCK x SCAUP SP. HYBRID in the large flock off the middle of Seneca
Lake State Park. I didn't get a photo, but it looked likely to be the same bird
that had been in the flocks on the west side of the lake. Some poor photos of
that bird from two weeks ago
here:https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S80410040Then at Long Pier at the west
end of the Geneva Lakefront Park area, the smaller Aythya flock close to shore
contained a REDHEAD x SCAUP SP. HYBRID, a REDHEAD x RING-NECKED DUCK HYBRID,
and most notably, an apparent CANVASBACK x REDHEAD HYBRID that Tim had noticed
earlier. This cross is one of the tougher to pick out in my experience, looking
mostly like a dingy Canvasback at first glance. The headshape is indeed
intermediate between the two species, but with a sloping enough forehead it
doesn't immediately stand out as not being a Canvasback. On this individual,
the blue markings on the bill are perhaps the most noticeable feature, along
with overall slightly grayer body color. The eye is also subtly more orange
than Canvasbacks, although still much darker red than Redhead. They always
recall Common Pochard, but the bill pattern is usually distinctly
different.Photos of these three hybrids
here:https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S82005647Meanwhile, here in Ithaca we
still have a decent sized Aythya flock in the southwest corner of the lake, but
the only birds of note there lately have been two more REDHEAD x SCAUP SP.
HYBRIDS. Photos of both (nearly identical) individuals
here:https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S80888034Good birding,Jay-- Jay
McGowanIthaca, nyjw...@cornell.edu
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