ML22346021

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Tags

Multiple species

Observation details

Eurasian Wigeon on Mount Desert Island is a life bird for me. which I found this morning foraging near Abner Bridge with Hooded Merganser and Mallards . I have been searching for one on MDI for many years. Dreams fulfilled this was a male with a distinctive creamy white crown strip extending to the lores, a bluish bill lined with black to the black tip. Head is reddish brown and a little darker right around the eyes but not distinguished iridescent like the American Wigeon's green to the nape. In one photo of the American Wigeon the iridescence gives way to a small yellowish patch directly behind the eye and only seen in bright sunlight. The shoulders of the Eurasian Wigeon matched the gray finely streaked and white flanks of the Eurasian transitioning to diffuse white and reddish towards the tail. (See photos) The black outer undertail coverts of Eurasian transition to white with black tips near the anus directly under the tail. Bellies of both Wigeon are white. The American Wigeon was well defined unlike the seemingly unclear or inexact plumage of the Eurasian Wigeon probably transitioning to adult plumage. Both birds were closely associated the entire time I watched them as they moved towards the west away from the road. This is a record bird for Mount Desert Island and the first time I have seen them on MDI.

Technical information

Model

NIKON D3100

ISO

400

Focal length

600 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/6.3

Shutter speed

1/1000 sec

Dimensions

2023 pixels x 803 pixels

Original file size

1.28 MB