(Please see picture gallery below – if you have any pix please send to sheilaelliot@yahoo.com)

August Bird of the Month – Blue-winged Teal 

From Ben Kolstad’s article in the July-August Kite: “August’s bird is the counterpart to July’s: Anas discors, the blue-winged teal, is only considered large when next to his cousin A. crecca; when you see him or his mate close to one of our boardwalks, you’ll often be surprised by just how small a duck can be. The male has a black head enlivened by a bright white crescent moon; his eye is where the center of the moon would be, and the edge of the moon delineates the bill-to-face intersection.

With both these ducks, it’s the drake that catches the eye; hens are cryptically colored, brown and resembling the male more in shape than anything else (apart from the color of the speculum, those feathers in the wing that provide each species its common name).

Come to our August meeting to hear our own bird expert, Clive Pinnock, tell us more about this bird.”

(Photographer’s please note that next month’s September 2014 Bird will be the  Northern Pintail)

(comparison of last month’s teal below):