Scrambled Teal from Pelee... Slow and steady, I'm getting some photo work done.
Common Teal-esque horizontal white bar
Lots of white in the face
Faint "Green-winged Teal" spur show some integration
Per Bruce Mactavish (ID Frontiers):
In St. John’s, Newfoundland we annually have a dozen or two overwintering
teal more or less equally divided up between Common Teal and Green-winged
Teal. In an exceptional winter like 2010/2011 there were four times more
Common Teal (50+ individuals) than Green-winged Teal. Over all there far
more Common Teal occurring in eastern Newfoundland than observed elsewhere
in eastern North America. In my four + decades of birding in eastern
Newfoundland I’ve only once seen a male teal suspected of being a hybrid
Common X Green-winged Teal.
teal more or less equally divided up between Common Teal and Green-winged
Teal. In an exceptional winter like 2010/2011 there were four times more
Common Teal (50+ individuals) than Green-winged Teal. Over all there far
more Common Teal occurring in eastern Newfoundland than observed elsewhere
in eastern North America. In my four + decades of birding in eastern
Newfoundland I’ve only once seen a male teal suspected of being a hybrid
Common X Green-winged Teal.
Common Teal was split into its own species by the BOU a few years ago, yet the AOU didn't follow suit because of considerable mixing of the two groups in Alaska... I wonder if that means there is a decent chance this is an "Alaskan" bird?
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The insane record-breaking heat is coming to an end... There has clearly been a lot of "strange weather events" in recent years, but I'm seeing this recent "heatwave" being considered as one of the most remarkable "heat" events in the history of weather data collection for eastern N.A. EVER... (any time of the year)...
My new favourite weather blogger has done yet another post on the subject. Here's a quote from the recent edition:
Not only was yesterday the warmest March day in recorded history for many of Canada's major cities, it was also warmer than any April day at many locations. St. John, New Brunswick hit 25.4°C (78°F.) Not only did this crush the record high for March (previous record: 17.5°C), it is well above any temperature ever measured in April (extreme April temperature on record: 22.8°C.)
Read some of the recent posts here:
Still interesting that the birds haven't really done anything terribly spectacular in terms of migration.
Not too many early birds coming into Point Pelee, unless they are too spread out to find.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, all this solar energy will accelerate butterfly emergence over the next several weeks .... even if things go back to "regular" weather.
Just saw my first European Hare in the Onion Fields since 2006 ... I had presumed that they were extirpated.
I just found out my work schedule is being pushed back a bit, so you may have to deal with me at Pelee some more over the next two weeks!
DeletePerfect! Maybe I'll stay indoors and get some paperwork done, while you make the rounds.
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