It always amazes me how a human brain works, well I guess I can only speak for my brain, but it tends to amaze me sometimes, for instance. today I was at the park...watching the 50 to 100 wigeons on the pond and my brain says, hey wait...that ones different...I did the double check...and it was different..and the only one of its kind at the time.
It is a female ring-necked duck.
It's bill was longer and wider than the wigeons, its body smaller and lower in the water.
It had a gray stripe on the end of its bill, and buff patches on the face near the bill
It had white eye circles...and almost a crest on its head.
They are diving birds. I tried and tried to get a picture of her diving under the water, they don't up-end like mallards. she leaped up and dove in. I wasn't fast enough so I got a lot of these kind of pictures.
Dang, missed her!
I did get her when she popped back up.
Anyway, an exciting day at the park for this bird nerd...worst thing was, the great backyard bird count starts tomorrow!!!! can't count her..unless she is there again.
Following are a couple of pictures of wigeons and a mallard so you can see the difference,
Mom Mallard from last year
wigeon
and a colorful bird named Hec...I guess (look at the plate)
Happy counting!
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