Hello everyone -
The Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in Chesterfield County, news of which was
originally posted by John Coe on the Richmond listserv, have been seen again
for the past two days. I saw them yesterday, as did a few other observers, and
Mr. Coe reports that they have been seen again today. So far as I know, no one
has seen any evidence that these are anything other than wild birds. They are
reasonably wary, are free-flying, have no unusual feather wear, and are wearing
no bands. Also, the time of year that they have appeared and the fact that they
are traveling together in a group of six are consistent with other records of
what are believed to be wandering wild birds of this species.
These ducks are visiting a small lake in a private residential area. I have
been asked not to post the exact directions to the birds here, but birders may
be allowed to visit the site and look for the birds. Mr. Coe has provided
contact information for birders who wish to see the ducks. If you wish to visit
the lake where the birds have been seen, please call Ms. Margrete Stinnes at
804-271-6403 for additional information about the property. Although no time to
call was given, please call Ms. Stinnes at a reasonable hour and be considerate
of any requests that she makes. When I visited the lake yesterday, I spoke to
three property owners who were all friendly to me, which I certainly
appreciated. I hope that any birders who visit make a special effort to be
considerate to both property owners and the birds. As you will see if you
visit, it is hard to view these ducks without standing on private property and
pointing your optics towards someone's home, so they have a right to wonder
what we are doing there.
Forgive the sermon, and good luck if you go to look for the ducks. Thanks again
to John Coe for alerting us to the presence of these birds, which most of us
have never had a chance to see in Virginia before.
Mike Stinson
Buckingham County, VA
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