That is an odd duck. For others’ reference, I believe this is the checklist in question:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S379383896 On Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 3:21 PM Gary Bletsch (via NYSBIRDS-L list) < [email protected]> wrote: > Dear NY Birders, > > There was an odd Aythya duck at Dunkirk Harbor recently. That is in > Chautauqua County, NY. There had been a pair of Redheads there on the 21st > and 24th of July; each time, a drake Ring-necked Duck was with them, making > for an odd little out-of-season band of Aythya ducks. > > On the 2nd August at 1435, I birded there again. This time, there were > only two Aythyas. A drake Redhead was in the company of a duck that had me > puzzled; it did not look like the RNDU that I'd seen on the two previous > visits. I took photos and put them on my eBird checklist, initially > attempting to put the odd bird down as a Redhead. > > During the photo-uploading process, the Merlin application insisted that > the odd duck was a Ring-necked Duck. Looking at the photos, I cannot say > that it was a RNDU; the shape of the head seems wrong. Nor does the bird > look right for a REDH. Granted, I have never lived anywhere where I have > been able to see many Aythyas this time of year, so I don't have much > experience with them in eclipse or juvenile plumages. > > The bird does have a suggestion of what RT Peterson described as "a > vertical white mark before the wing," albeit not very pronounced. > > The hotspot is called Dunkirk Harbor; my checklist is number hecklist > S379383896although I know that sometimes that does not help people trying > to find a checklist on eBird! > > Anyway, I'd love to hear any opinions as to this bird's identity. > > Thanks. > > Yours truly, > > Gary Bletsch > Jamestown, NY > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information > Posting Address: [email protected] > Archives: > The Mail Archive: //www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > <https:%3Ca%20href=>/maillist.html" class="hft-urls">https: > //www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html > Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at > http://www.ebird.org > -- > -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Visit: http://LISTS.cornell.edu for more information Posting Address: [email protected] Archives: The Mail Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html Sightings: Please submit your observations to eBird at http://www.ebird.org --
