I was watching a Roseate Spoonbill in the rain (i.e., we both were) at Knox-Marcellus. Considering that I had a jacket and a small hat, I was getting wet. Gary drove up and got out with an umbrella, muck boots, and a rain jacket as I proceeded to get wetter. Gary said that Ken sed that he had seen two Black-bellied Whistling Ducks down Tow Path. Gary also said that Tow Path was rutted and had mosquitoes. I decided to try and got ~0.7 miles down the the tank trap lined with mosquito swarms to the first opening where you could see water. There was a pink Roseate Spoonbill between two taller American Egrets all while I was offering my limited supply of RBC to the swarms. I drove back down the tank trap and out to Gary who was overlooking the first Roseate Spoonbill, still in Knox-Marcellus although it had moved. These two locations are about 1400m apart (Google Earth). I feel fairly certain they were two birds. While I was down the tank trap feeding mosquito swarms and watching the pink object in my scope, a small flock of ~5 ducks flew by, banked and showed an entirely black underside. I know, what are the odds that one would see a Roseate Spoonbill and 5 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in one field of vision in upstate New York? To help restore my sense of sanity and self-confidence and credibility, would someone else drive a tank down Tow Path to the first opening and see if they find ducks with all black undersides flying around a Roseate Spoonbill. Thanks, John --
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