https://ebird.org/checklist/S70857837
Sorry, my photo was too large so didn't go through. I've loaded it on to my
eBird report so now should be visible.
Nels
On Sat, Jun 27, 2020 at 8:01 AM Nels Nelson <nelsnelson7@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
This Wood Duck yesterday at Commonwealth Lake Park in Beaverton
was hanging out at a park with lots of people. He is certainly a raggety
looking specimen.
Nels Nelson
Hillsboro
On Sat, Jun 27, 2020 at 6:50 AM <whoffman@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
Definitely molting. Most of our waterfowl have a summer molt and a
fall/winter/spring molt.
It makes sense to compare body (contour) feathers to shingles on a wall
or roof. They overlap extensively, and a relatively small part of each is
exposed. Compare a bird molting some of these to a wall or roof with some
shingles missing (unfortunately the shingles won't grow back). This
results in exposure of normally covered parts of the feathers/shingles
under the missing ones. The pale-looking feathers on the Wood Duck flanks
look that way because normally hidden sections of them are exposed.
Feathers tend to wear and sometimes bleach with age, and often get ragged
tips or margins. Ingrowing fresh feathers have much cleaner margins and
tips, and often brighter pigmentation. In the Wood Duck photo, one feather
high on the right side is brighter blue and appears larger than the
surrounding ones. This is a newly-grown feather, with unbleached color and
unworn edges. It looks bigger because the feathers that normally cover
most of it have molted and have not yet grown back.
If you learn to recognize these features of plumage, recognition that a
bird is molting can become almost automatic.
Wayne
------------------------------
*From: *"baro@xxxxxxx" <baro@xxxxxxx>
*To: *"jonathan" <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxx>
*Cc: *"obol" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Sent: *Saturday, June 27, 2020 7:57:14 AM
*Subject: *[obol] Re: Wood Duck question
Molting?
https://ebird.org/checklist/S70017091#_ga=2.154951728.964915143.1593154882-824734375.1590261844
amazingly few photos in the Macaulay Library of Wood Duck molting.
Especially given that they hang out at parks with lots of people.
Bob OBrien Carver OR
On Sun, Jun 7, 2020 at 10:09 PM <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Anyone have a diagnosis of what is up with this Wood Duck? (stretching
his wing).
Not sure if he is leucistic, molting, a hybrid, or a juvenile… maybe
some combination of those?
http://phlumf.com/index.php/nggallery/the-willamette-valley/Hillboro?page_id=414#foobox-1/13/Wood-Duck-001.jpg
Jonathan
