ML511221451

Détails de l'observation

This duck was near sign post #3 on Black Point Drive. It was in a flock that contained ring-necked ducks, redheads, one canvasback, one female scaup and coots. The duck was a male. It was feeding with the other divers but it only tipped up like puddle ducks do. It never dove but all the other divers did. It looked, in size and shape, very much like a mallard. However, as the photos show, it had many ring-necked duck traits. The iris was yellow. The feet were yellow. The bill was white at the base, transitioning to gray, then white again and black at the nail. The head was iridescent purple. The chest was dark chestnut color as in a drake mallard. There was white in the tail feathers, as in a mallard, whereas ring-necked duck tails are all black. The ducks back was dark but resemble a mallard more than a ring-necked duck. I observed the duck at about 45 yards for more than 25 minutes with the naked eye, binoculars and a spotting scope. Several times, the sun shown through the clouds and the colors described above were even more prominent. The photographs were taken by David Sparks.