[Tweeters] Subject: Harlequin Duck

[Dee Dee]

I believe it could well have been a Harlequin. Years ago I saw my first WA State Harlequin duck, a female with a couple of ducklings, on a swift-moving creek in the Cascades (up near Monte Carlo, I think, in summertime—rather too many decades ago) and once saw a small group of them on Puget Sound. 
The most I ever saw at one time was a large congregation, while looking down at the sea from a sea cliff in Iceland (c. 1981). 
So anyway, they have been here in WA and hopefully some still are. I saw that the WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife has posted a note on their species description page for these ducks, requesting anyone seeing this species please share the observation using their (linked) WDFW wildlife reporting form. They note there have been declines in wintering numbers on the Sound. 

Nice sighting, Tomas, especially when so cooperative.

Dee Warnock
Edmonds



> Message: 7

> Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2023 18:56:14 GMT

> From: <itomas at onebox.com>

> To: <tweeters at uw.edu>

> Subject: [Tweeters] Harlequin Duck

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> Question...Yesterday, a duck awkwardly landed on a wire right in front of my deck which is across the street from the Rutherford Slough in Fall City. The duck was kind enough to sit there long enough for me to go inside for binoculars, books and laptop computer and, according to all the pictures I could find, it was a Harlequin Duck. Is that really possible? I thought they were not in this area...and yes, there are Buffleheads in the water but this was not one of them.

> 

> Thanks,

> Tomas Walsh

> Fall City, WA

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