Got an interesting note from our colleagues at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary this week. On Wednesday, Sanctuary Manager Kerry Wilcox spotted what appeared to be a hybrid Bufflehead/Common Goldeneye during a survey. Volunteers confirmed it later. The next day, Len Blumin spotted the bird in the same area and got a few pictures from more than 200 yards away (the one above is of a Long Tailed Duck, also very rare). A little later in the week, another volunteer was out looking for the hybrid and spotted two Redheads out on the water — very rare in these parts.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Marcus England // Feb 20, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Why is this bird not a standard female Long-tailed Duck? See:
http://www.ericdphotography.net/Photos/Long%20Tailed%20Duck,%20Female.jpg
2 gfrost // Feb 21, 2010 at 8:17 am
This isn’t a photo of the hybrid. You’re right, this is a standard Long-tailed Duck — still pretty unusual for this site.