FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Am Black Ducks or Mottled Ducks???

["Palmer-Ball, Brainard \(EPPC OOS KNPC\)" <Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx>]

Twice in the past week, I've gotten quick glimpses of dark ducks with
Mallards that may have been just American Black Ducks, but I wanted to
note their locations in case others encounter them and can scrutinize
them for possible Mottled Ducks:
 
#1) a dark bird with a couple of drake Mallards at the slough along
Horseshoe Road in western Henderson County; I kicked these birds up and
only saw them in flight. On April 10th, I saw a drake Am. Black Duck
here, so this bird could have been just that same individual, but it
"appeared" to have more buffy margins to some of the feathers and I
think I saw a trailing edge of white on the innner part of the wing as
it was flying away ... but my looks were far from even decent. I tried
to chase the two down where I saw them drop in, but could never relocate
them.
 
#2) a dark bird this morning with a drake Mallard at the Falls of the
Ohio ... the light was poor on this bird at the time I came across it,
so I continued to scan down the exposed rock shelves to come back to it
when the light had improved. However, five minutes later I could not
find the pair and could never find them again ... should have stayed
with it! This bird did not appear to be a drake Am. Black Duck, but I
can't say it wasn't a hen.
 
bpb, Frankfort