Rare Long-tailed Duck

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Today is THE day - voting for the next U.S. President. May the BEST person win.

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We had all hoped to have a much closer view of a pair of rare Long-tailed Ducks yesterday, 7 November 2016, but this was the 'best' I could do : ) Better than nothing, though. At least you can see its long tail. They were out in the middle of the Glenmore Reservoir, if not closer to the far side, and I could only see them through someone's scope.

I believe I had only ever seen a Long-tailed Duck on three occasions before. I have photos from each occasion posted on Flickr.

1. 20 October 2009 on the Glenmore Reservoir
2. 12 January 2010, on the Bow River, south of H'way 22X
3. 5 November 2012, saw about 6 of them on Glenmore Reservoir

I have added our leaders' list of species seen yesterday, in a comment box below.

"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 or Oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis) is a medium-sized sea duck. It is the only living member of its genus, Clangula .... Adults have white underparts, though the rest of the plumage goes through a complex moulting process. The male has a long pointed tail (10 to 15 cm) and a dark grey bill crossed by a pink band. In winter, the male has a dark cheek patch on a mainly white head and neck, a dark breast and mostly white body. In summer, the male is dark on the head, neck and back with a white cheek patch. The female has a brown back and a relatively short pointed tail. In winter, the female's head and neck are white with a dark crown. In summer, the head is dark. Juveniles resemble adult females in autumn plumage, though with a lighter, less distinct cheek patch."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-tailed_Duck