ML646650502

Media notes

Size reference to COGO

Observation details

There was a lone duck we were watching that just didn't quite look right. My initial impression was female bufflehead, then we lost her for awhile, and when I saw again, she was closer, and my first thought was WW scoter because she had a clear white patch on front of face. This was quickly dismissed because the bill size was all wrong (small, no bulbous-ness). After looking at more pics of female buffleheads, I came around that she must indeed just be a little odd looking female bufflehead, and I listed her as such. Sarah's guessed harlequin, and I dismissed this as being too much a rarity. Now, after having some time at home to look through pictures, I think she may have actually been a harlequin. The factors for thinking this: 1) a subtle, but very certain, diffuse white patch on the front of face around bill. I'm not seeing this on any pictures of buffleheads, imm or female or otherwise. 2) the entire body having a rich dark chocolate color. Most if not all bufflehead pics seem lighter in the body, especially near the front. I realize this is often hidden on buffles, but there was also no white on the wing. She was associating loosely with several common goldeneye, as well as some mallards that swam through a couple times. In the river below the dam, near the riffles where the long tailed duck was later seen. Size was small, see pic for comparison to mallards. Really kicking myself for not working on better pics as I had dismissed as bufflehead. Very curious what thoughts moderator and others have from poor digiscope pics. For now, I am retroactively changing this record from bufflehead to harlequin based on listed factors. edit: Confirmed Harlequin by moderator and by subsequent birder who I'm told witnessed 12/9 at 1pm (presumably same location). Also edit: this one was my 200th Iowa bird :)

Additional species

• Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula