The (nearly adult) male King Eider was present this morning around 10:25 a.m.
on Island 2 of the CBBT (well south of Island 3, where present over the early
part of the week); the male Harlequin Duck was with Surf and Black Scoters
around the fishing pier on Island 1. I'm not sure that this has been the same
King Eider all season; early on in the fall there were reports of an "immature"
male (which I assumed to be a bird born this year). The bird present for a
week now is essentially a month or so away from being in definitive alternate
(a.k.a. knock-your-socks-off) plumage, and hopefully the bird will stick
around. It was very flighty today, as there were 100s of small craft out
fishing
for Striped Bass. In my notes, the last adult male King Eider in Virginia was
at the CBBT in February 1992.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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