FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Black-Bellied Whistling Duck

[john messina <jncmessina@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Re: Ned Brinkley's posting, I can confirm that black-bellied whistling
ducks were in the Roanoke area in 1993. That summer, when I was not yet
a birdwatcher, I traveled from my home in Alexandria to take an animal
for surgery at the vet school in Blacksburg. During my pet's recovery
period, I visited the duck pond on the Va. Tech. campus, which is where
I heard a strange call, then saw an odd-looking duck at a short
distance. A man who regularly visited this pond told me, "A lot of
people were here with binoculars and telescopes, all excited about that
duck, whatever it is." The duck drew closer, so I made sure I got a good
look at it. Then I went to the university library, looked in a
Peterson's guide, and learned that I had seen a black-bellied whistling
duck and that it did not visit Virginia. I went back to the pond and
took a photo of the duck, which I saw a few months ago while organizing
storage bins. I now consider seeing that duck, and especially getting my
hands on a Peterson's, to be the moment that first got me thinking
seriously about birds.

Cathy Messina


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