Long-tailed Duck

The light was so bad early this morning and, of course, this pretty female Long-tailed Duck was way out in the Bow River, south of Highway 22X. Lightened the image and I think you can at least get an idea of what she looks like. This is one of the most sought-after birds in the city at the moment : )

"The Long-tailed Duck, formerly known as the Oldsquaw, breeds across the Alaskan and Canadian Arctic, and spends the winter on the Pacific Ocean. Consequently, it is only a rare transient through Alberta.

A very few Long-tailed Ducks appear in Alberta in late October and early November. Very occasionally, one will overwinter on an open river or lake in the province. They are even scarcer on spring migration from March to May." Written by Andrew Slater for talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/index.php?s=47.

The Long-tailed Duck is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies." From Wikipedia.