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--_4621ac0f-7114-456a-9350-993a30c512cd_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi all: =20 First off the northern pintail from Bayport=2C which was travelling with a = group of mallards with two Mallard X Black Ducks did not look quite right y= esterday. It flew before I could get a better look at it. Today at First = South I found the two mallard X black ducks and got a good look at what I c= halked up as a northern pintail. The neck and head and the way it swam wer= e all typical female pintail as well as the bill =2C size and body color. = This bird had no tail though and the back end looked like a normal mallard.= It crawled up on the ice and I noted orange legs. I marked the bird down= as a pintail and continued on my way and then I starting thinking=2C like = wait a minute=2C northern pintails do not have orange legs. I got my bird = book out and looked and the closest match would be a female blue-winged tea= l. Now the size of the bird I saw was that of an American black duck which= rules out green-winged teal as the two were side by side on the ice. I kn= ow that I've seen mallard X northern pintail males. From a genetic point o= f view is it possible for a female northern pintail X mallard. This is the= only thing that makes sense on the basis of no tail and the leg color. An= y other suggestions would be great. I went back to try and get some pictur= es=2C but the bird was gone. =20 =20 At Corkum's Island by the causeway there were five loons. One stuck out li= ke a sore thumb. It had a slender neck which was half the size of a normal= common loon and the bird was lighter and had a much different face=2C thro= at pattern. It just stuck out with the other loons nearby as odd. I manag= ed to get a very bad picture of it as the bird in question kept diving. Wh= en I first saw it in the water with the neck up in silouette=2C I thought t= hat it was a swan. I'm assuming that it is some abnormal plumage of a juve= nile common loon=2C but the bird if it can be relocated needs more observat= ion. I called Kevin Lantz to try and get better pictures as my camera is j= ust a little point and shoot=2C but by that time we could not relocate the = loon. =20 =20 Kevin Lantz found a thick-billed murre on the Lunenburg waterfront yesterda= y. At that time it was way up in the bay near ABCO. Today it was on the o= ther side of the bay by the Lunenburg Fish Company. This bird looked very = healthy and was diving and seemed to be getting lots to eat. It stayed dow= n for long periods and went an amazing distance each time that it was down.= =20 =20 My friend David Walmark was very excited yesterday upon discovering that th= e Farley Mowatt - The Sea Shepherd=2C the Famous Green Peace Boat was tied = up at the Lunenburg Wharf. Apparently no one knew this and the boat has be= en there since the fall. I'm not sure as to why the local paper did not pr= int a full story upon it's arrival. At least I saw nothing. Hopefully=2C = they do not want to purposely keep it quiet as to its location and I'm not = rocking the boat in letting people know about it being there.=20 =20 James R. Hirtle Bayport =20 =20 =20 = --_4621ac0f-7114-456a-9350-993a30c512cd_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> <head> <style><!-- .hmmessage P { margin:0px=3B padding:0px } body.hmmessage { font-size: 10pt=3B font-family:Tahoma } --></style> </head> <body class=3D'hmmessage'> <FONT size=3D3>Hi all:</FONT><BR> <FONT size=3D3></FONT> =3B<BR> <FONT size=3D3>First off the northern pintail from Bayport=2C which was tra= velling with a group of mallards with two Mallard X Black Ducks did not loo= k quite right yesterday. =3B It flew before I could get a better look a= t it. =3B Today at First South I found the two mallard X black ducks an= d got a good look at what I chalked up as a northern pintail. =3B The n= eck and head and the way it swam were all typical female pintail as well as= the bill =2C size and body color. =3B This bird had no tail though and= the back end looked like a normal mallard. =3B It crawled up on the ic= e and I noted orange legs. =3B I marked the bird down as a pintail and = continued on my way and then I starting thinking=2C like wait a minute=2C n= orthern pintails do not have orange legs. =3B I got my bird book out an= d looked and the closest match would be a female blue-winged teal. =3B = Now the size of the bird I saw was that of an American black duck which rul= es out green-winged teal as the two were side by side on the ice. =3B I= know that I've seen mallard X northern pintail males. =3B From a genet= ic point of view is it possible for a female northern pintail X mallard.&nb= sp=3B This is the only thing that makes sense on the basis of no tail and t= he leg color. =3B Any other suggestions would be great. =3B I went = back to try and get some pictures=2C but the bird was gone. =3B </FONT>= <BR> <FONT size=3D3></FONT> =3B<BR> <FONT size=3D3>At Corkum's Island by the causeway there were five loons.&nb= sp=3B One stuck out like a sore thumb. =3B It had a slender neck which = was half the size of a normal common loon and the bird was lighter and had = a much different face=2C throat pattern. =3B It just stuck out with the= other loons nearby as odd. =3B I managed to get a very bad picture of = it as the bird in question kept diving. =3B When I first saw it in the = water with the neck up in silouette=2C I thought that it was a swan. = =3B I'm assuming that it is some abnormal plumage of a juvenile common loon= =2C but the bird if it can be relocated needs more observation. =3B I c= alled Kevin Lantz to try and get better pictures as my camera is just a lit= tle point and shoot=2C but by that time we could not relocate the loon.&nbs= p=3B </FONT><BR> <FONT size=3D3></FONT> =3B<BR> <FONT size=3D3>Kevin Lantz found a thick-billed murre on the Lunenburg wate= rfront yesterday. =3B At that time it was way up in the bay near ABCO.&= nbsp=3B Today it was on the other side of the bay by =3Bthe Lunenburg F= ish Company. =3B This bird looked very healthy and was diving and seeme= d to be getting lots to eat. =3B It stayed down for long periods and we= nt an amazing distance each time that it was down. =3B </FONT><BR> <FONT size=3D3></FONT> =3B<BR> <FONT size=3D3>My friend David Walmark was very excited yesterday upon disc= overing that the Farley Mowatt - The Sea Shepherd=2C the Famous Green Peace= Boat was tied up at the Lunenburg Wharf. =3B Apparently no one knew th= is and the boat has been there since the fall. =3B I'm not sure as to w= hy the local paper did not print a full story upon it's arrival. =3B At= least I saw nothing. =3B Hopefully=2