Rare Duck in Wisconsin (Or North America for that matter)

[CrazyEd]

Thought I would share this for anyone who is into waterfowl be it hunting them or appreciating them. Some of you may or may not know my father is an avid birder. Yesterday he had the opportunity to photograph an incredibly rare duck in northwestern Wisconsin. This duck is from Asia/Africa and is the first recorded sighting in the state ever. Pretty neat. Here's the story and pictures here.

http://www.windowtowildlife.com/garganey/

 

[wiscwhip]

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[tooln]

Neat. Was your dad in a boat or a blind? I'm guessing he had one big zoom lens.

 

[CrazyEd]

Neat. Was your dad in a boat or a blind? I'm guessing he had one big zoom lens.

No blind or boat, I think it was visible from shore or some viewing area. People had been keeping close tabs on since it arrived, since it is migration season birders are out in full force. There are good online networks that help keep people updated on what is where.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

thats pretty cool! I used to maintain about 500 wood duck nesting boxes with my old job. I'm not much of a waterfowler though.

 

[kabic]

Invasive species, better kill it :D:p

 

[Terrific_tom]

Very cool

 

[LessRice]

I grew up hunting Crex Meadows and know exactly where that is. My farm less than a mile away.

 

[LessRice]

Does your dad shoot Crex often? I saw 3 different snow owl on multiple occasion up there early spring.

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

I used to raise wild waterfowl years ago. They are very common in captivity. I still think it is a captive escaped one. Granted it could be a wild one, but based on easy it is for something like that to be an escapee, my money is on that. They are cool ducks. The males make a sound like your gargling. For such a small duck, it has one of the deepest sounds out there.

 

[CrazyEd]

Does your dad shoot Crex often? I saw 3 different snow owl on multiple occasion up there early spring.

no, he just went for the day.

 

[CrazyEd]

I still think it is a captive escaped one. Granted it could be a wild one, but based on easy it is for something like that to be an escapee, my money is on that.

Yup that is always possible, have to see what the officials say I guess. he photographed a Goose last year that was very similar, I don't know if it was ruled wild or escaped.

 

[Reagan]

I used to raise wild waterfowl years ago. They are very common in captivity. I still think it is a captive escaped one. Granted it could be a wild one, but based on easy it is for something like that to be an escapee, my money is on that. They are cool ducks. The males make a sound like your gargling. For such a small duck, it has one of the deepest sounds out there.

I agree. Ducks do get lost but that one would have to be a lonnnnggggg way from home. I once shot and oldsqaw in SE Ohio. I was any 500 miles away from the ocean with the Appalachian mountains in between.

 

[Bill]

I was expecting a Harliquin that joker is far from home or like mentioned an escapee

I agree. Ducks do get lost but that one would have to be a lonnnnggggg way from home. I once shot and oldsqaw in SE Ohio. I was any 500 miles away from the ocean with the Appalachian mountains in between.

That's odd also, we used to hunt them in an inlet from the Atlantic. If you let them pass you'd get 2 cracks at them. When thay hit the causeway bridge they would turn and come back. I never once saw one fly over or under a bridge or even any land mass. Oh and the PC police changed their name. No more old squaw their "Long tailed ducks" now. :rolleyes:

 

[Turkey Creek]

Very cool bird! As a taxidermist I think it would look darn good hanging in my shop or office!:D

 

[Reagan]

I was expecting a Harliquin that joker is far from home or like mentioned an escapee



That's odd also, we used to hunt them in an inlet from the Atlantic. If you let them pass you'd get 2 cracks at them. When thay hit the causeway bridge they would turn and come back. I never once saw one fly over or under a bridge or even any land mass. Oh and the PC police changed their name. No more old squaw their "Long tailed ducks" now. :rolleyes:

I'm don't follow the rules of the PC police. It was an old squaw when shot it so it will always be an old squaw to me. The bird was a juvenile drake. I had only been duck hunting a few years at that point. I had to break out the duck ID guide to figure out what it was.

Back then it never occurred to me that it might be an escaped pet. I'm not sure if people raise sea ducks.

 

[bryant]

Cool lookin duck. Like a pintail/Blue wing cross sorta.

 

[THunter]

I agree. Ducks do get lost but that one would have to be a lonnnnggggg way from home. I once shot and oldsqaw in SE Ohio. I was any 500 miles away from the ocean with the Appalachian mountains in between.

There are TONS of Old Sqaw on the Niagara River in April, so inland in Ohio wouldn't be all that rare I wouldn't think.

 

[THunter]

Back then it never occurred to me that it might be an escaped pet. I'm not sure if people raise sea ducks.

They do. Every sort of wildfowl you can imagine is raised in captivity. Species outside of North America do not require a permit to keep. That's why it's not unheard of for people to shoot Ringed Teal or Mandarin ducks down here.

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

I assure you that the odds of an escape sea duck would be like winning the lottery. 99.9% of them are pinioned which means they can never fly. Now non sea ducks are VERY common in captivity.