| Common Name | Ruddy duck |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Oxyura jamaicensis |
| Type of Report | Out-of-Season |
| Date of Observation | 01/05/2024 |
| Media | |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Spencer Ogden |
| Mailing Address | 135 Pine Road PO Box 330 Dorset, Vermont 05251 United States Map It |
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| Date Completed | 01/09/2024 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Claudia Burns: |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 43°37'49.1"N |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 73°13'59.9"W |
| Place Name | Edward F. Kehoe Access Area - Lake Bomosseen |
| Township | Castleton |
| County | Rutland |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 02:04 PM |
| Length of Time Observed | 10 minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 60 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 20 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Overcast, roughly 20 degrees F. Open water at the part of the lake we were at where the bird was seen |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Avalon 10x42 Pro HD Binoculars |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | Lifer for me, so I had never seen one before. Pointed out to our group by C.J. Frankiewicz |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Lake, open water that hadn't frozen over yet |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | We saw a normal sized duck that that swimming fairly close to shore. It was dark brown and lying low in the water. Had a light brown head with a dark cap, and a dark strip going through the lighter part of the head |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Bufflehead, surf scoter, and white-winged scoter were eliminated because they all have white markings, which this bird did not. Black scoter was eliminated because female black scoters do not have the dark stripe through the lower section of the head, like the bird we saw had. Therefore, it had to be a ruddy duck. |
| Other Notes & Comments | Adult female |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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