Vermont Rare Bird Reports 2023

Overcast, light breeze, calm water

Hawke Endurance ED scope, 75X

I've seen North American Green-winged Teal countless times. This is my first time seeing the Eurasian subspecies other than in pictures.

Swimming with Mallards in calm water at the water's edge, ducking in and out of shoreline vegetation.

Male swimming with Mallards at the shoreline north of the bridge. I spent about 30 minutes looking at this bird, which was very far away and repeatedly disappearing from view behind the shoreline vegetation and the Mallards it was swimming with. Viewing conditions were challenging, but I could never make out a vertical white spur on the side, and I could definitely make out a horizontal white stripe, which had me thinking Eurasian GWTE. But as long as I looked at that duck (which was out of view more often than it was in view), the horizontal stripe was more faint than bold, and I could not see details of the head well enough to see any white lines around the face, so I didn't feel confident in a Eurasian Teal ID and originally reported it as a GWTE. Later in the afternoon I saw Jo Jo Doyle's excellent photos from when the bird was much closer (https://ebird.org/checklist/S125618809), and the white facial stripes, horizontal side stripe, and lack of vertical white side spur are clearly visible.

Teal-sized; much smaller than associated Mallards

Chestnut color; green eye patch and white facial markings were too far away to be visible

Horizontal white side stripe; no sign of vertical white "spur"

Absence of vertical white side spur, and presence of horizontal white side stripe ruled out North American GWTE. Facial details with white stripes were only visible from photos taken hours later by Jo Jo Doyle (https://ebird.org/checklist/S125618809).