ML297704471

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Media notes

Full sized photo shows narrow-looking band present on left leg.

Observation details

Continuing female Smew. Found immediately upon arrival, looking somewhat grebe-like. Viewed from pullouts along Monroe Street 0.5 to 0.6 miles west of M-40 in the town of Allegan. Appeared to be cooperatively feeding with female Common Mergansers, swimming with the group seeming to drive fish into a narrow patch of open water between sheets of ice, diving frantically at the edge of the ice when they got to the end of the patch of water. Lost from view 4 or 5 times for several minutes at a time. Occasionally she sat on the water fairly still for several minutes, well away from all other waterfowl. Two photos of the bird in flight appear to show a band on its left leg, looking like a narrow breeders band in one photo and like a broader "wild" type band in another. Also visible in one photo is the hallux on the bird's left foot. I don't know what this means. I don't know if ducks that nest in hollow trees (and nest boxes), like Smew do, would be hindered by having their halluxes clipped.

Technical information

Model

NIKON D500

Lens

0.0 mm f/0.0

ISO

1400

Flash

Flash did not fire

Shutter speed

1/400 sec

Dimensions

800 pixels x 533 pixels

Original file size

290.84 KB