[SBB] Conventional Wisdom, 8/4/07

[Bill Bousman <[[email protected]]>]

Folks:

Lesser Scaup have bred irregularly in the Bay area for at least one 
hundred years.  The first time they were found in the South Bay was 
the early 1980s and they have nested regularly for the last 20 
years.  Probably the greatest concentrations in the last decade has 
been at the Sunnyvale WPCP ponds.  They are late nesters and young 
birds are seldom seen before August.  Along the south channel last 
week, although I saw two pairs, there were no young yet.  The female 
Lesser Scaup in summer looks quite different from a winter bird.  To 
me, her coloration seems a warm brown or rufous, much richer than a 
winter bird.  Few females show white around the bill, but instead 
they often have a white or pale ear patch.  Conventional wisdom holds 
that with modern field guides, the identification of a female Lesser 
Scaup is no longer a problem.  This reminds me of Mammy Yokum's 
frequent statement "As any fool can plainly see. . . ." which was 
always answered by L'il Abner, "Ah, sees."  Female Lesser Scaup have, 
in the past, caused much confusion and consternation in the South Bay 
in summer, particularly when they were accompanied by young 
ducklings.  Most of us are unwilling to admit that WE were ever 
confused, and sometimes comment on the failings of 
others.  Conventional wisdom in this situation has been a fairly long 
and painful learning process.  Welcome, Jim.

Bill

At 05:43 PM 8/4/2007, you wrote:
>After a good look at the well reported FRANKLIN'S GULL which was feeding
>on the east side of West Pond, around noon today, I hiked out the levee
>along the channel going NE from the radar tower. In the NE corner of
>East Pond were about 20 female PINTAILS and about 50 NORTHERN SHOVELER'S.
>
>Help appreciated on the following. Walking back, about 100 yards from
>the tower, I had a good look at a lone duck in the channel. It had the
>shape of a Lesser Scaup. The head was bright brown. There was no white
>around the bill or anywhere else on the head. No tuft was visible.
>Feathers on the top of the head seemed to crest up slightly, giving off
>golden highlights. The bill was solid glossy black. The eyes were bright
>yellow. The body was also brown like the head, though a not so richly
>colored, with some light spots. It showed white on the backs of the
>wings as it flew across East Pond and out of sight over West Pond.
>
>-Jim Thomas
>
>
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