[texbirds] Re: Possible American Black Duck at Brunswick Lake, Houston TX
- From: "John Arvin" <jarvin@xxxxxxxx>
- To: <david@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "TexBirds" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2014 14:37:07 -0600
David/Texbirds
Two of the characters you mention are not diagnostic for American Black
Duck: speculum bordered by white is shared with Mottled; also the greenish
yellow bill is specific for a male or either species.
John C. Arvin
Research Associate
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
103 West Hwy 332
Lake Jackson, TX 77566
jarvin@xxxxxxxx
www.gcbo.org
Austin, Texas
----------------------------------------
From: "David Sarkozi" <david@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2014 2:05 PM
To: "TexBirds" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [texbirds] Possible American Black Duck at Brunswick Lake, Houston
TX
I had a bird this morning at Brunswick Lake I feel is a strong
candidate for American Black Duck. I was able to get some poor
digiscope and flight photos:
https://flic.kr/p/q3BWF9
https://flic.kr/p/qkaSKP
https://flic.kr/p/qhTSuU
https://flic.kr/p/qhTSzy
https://flic.kr/p/poqbZ4
John Berner rushed over to help be sort it out and also has some photos
the flight photos show a purplish speculum with dark bars and no white
I can see. It was hanging with a female mallard.
Point that are argue for a Black Duck are:
no white in the speculum and color.
over all dark color of the bird
yellowish-green instead of yellow bill
flank feathers all dark in center and lacking light "V" inside and
think buffy edges.
John and I could not decide on if there was a black spot at the gap.
We watched the bird for over and hour and it seemed to be there at
time and not there at others. Many photos don't seem to show it and
some do. I wonder now if it was shadows from ruffled feathers as it
fed?
--
David Sarkozi
Houston, TX
(713) 412-4409 twitter ID dsarkozi
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