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Winter 04-05

Publication TYPE: Ohio-birds listserv posting
Date: 6 Nov 2004
Subject: Conneaut Harbor 9 January 05

Conneaut Harbor, Ashtabula Co., OH
9 January 2005


I stopped in at Conneaut Harbor from 3:15 to 4:45. The harbor was smooth as glass, the day ending with a picturesque sunset
that seemed incongruous with the weather of earlier in the weekend. No ice cover, even around the docks.

The interesting bird is a hybrid duck with indications of Common Goldeneye and Common Merganser parentage. Both species are cavity
nesters across a wide area of overlapping breeding range so this is a feasible cross. Pass your cursor over the images to read
the captions on each image.
Head on the bird exhibits a strong resemblance to a Common Goldeneye. The head was a dark chocolate brown matching a female goldeneye. The iris was a dark yellow. 
  
Pied-billed Grebe - 1
Mallard - 68
Hybrid Duck - 1 
      (see images below - suggestive of Common Goldeneye X Common Merganser)
Canada Goose - 18
Bonaparte's Gull - 19
Ring-billed Gull - 1600
Herring Gull - 180
Great Black-backed Gull - 11
The bird loosely associated with a small flock of Mallards (leading me to erroneously suggest Mallard parentage at first blush). In body length, the bird was comparable to the proportions of a Mallard; decidely larger than a goldeneye, though much smaller than a Common Merganser. The bill was tipped with a dark nail which ended in a noticeable hook as in a merganser; the apical bill color was a bright yellow, bordered thinly in pinkish tones before giving way to a slate color for the remainder of the bill; this coloration is common on female Common Goldeneye
In side profile the bird took on a merganser jizz with a thin elongate sloping bill, a hooded effect with feathers raised off the nape, and the always erect stiff tail. Note here the tail length, pointed central rectrices; also in life the back coloration was a dark glossy metallic green consistent with Common Merganser

cheers

Vic Fazio
Shaker Hts, OH

Page established 12 January 2005