After an absence of over two weeks, an adult male TUFTED DUCK reappeared on Seneca Lake yesterday, found at the Seneca Yacht Club at the northeast corner of the lake by Dave Kennedy. It was not there this morning, but presumably the same bird was refound by Tim Lenz down along the west side of the lake south of Geneva. My checklist with photos and the exact location here: https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S82004482
While I was searching for the Tufted earlier in the morning, I came across a nice variety of Aythya hybrids in the several thousand ducks at the north end of the lake. First, a RING-NECKED DUCK x SCAUP SP. HYBRID in the large flock off the middle of Seneca Lake State Park. I didn't get a photo, but it looked likely to be the same bird that had been in the flocks on the west side of the lake. Some poor photos of that bird from two weeks ago here: https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S80410040 Then at Long Pier at the west end of the Geneva Lakefront Park area, the smaller Aythya flock close to shore contained a REDHEAD x SCAUP SP. HYBRID, a REDHEAD x RING-NECKED DUCK HYBRID, and most notably, an apparent CANVASBACK x REDHEAD HYBRID that Tim had noticed earlier. This cross is one of the tougher to pick out in my experience, looking mostly like a dingy Canvasback at first glance. The headshape is indeed intermediate between the two species, but with a sloping enough forehead it doesn't immediately stand out as not being a Canvasback. On this individual, the blue markings on the bill are perhaps the most noticeable feature, along with overall slightly grayer body color. The eye is also subtly more orange than Canvasbacks, although still much darker red than Redhead. They always recall Common Pochard, but the bill pattern is usually distinctly different. Photos of these three hybrids here: https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S82005647 Meanwhile, here in Ithaca we still have a decent sized Aythya flock in the southwest corner of the lake, but the only birds of note there lately have been two more REDHEAD x SCAUP SP. HYBRIDS. Photos of both (nearly identical) individuals here: https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S80888034 Good birding, Jay -- Jay McGowan Ithaca, NY [email protected] -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
