Eurasian wigeon

[squirl033]

Found this lovely Eurasian wigeon drake mingling with a bunch of American wigeons and gadwalls at Hawks Prairie pond in Lacey yesterday afternoon... these little fellas are uncommon vagrants; one or two seem to show up every winter, but they're never found here in large numbers at all. The ones we see here are birds from Siberia that took a wrong turn on their way south, and wound up on our coast instead of in SE Asia...

 

[Bill Anderson]

Good find. I have not seen a Eurasian in several years and have never seen one of your storm wigeons.

 

[squirl033]

Good find. I have not seen a Eurasian in several years and have never seen one of your storm wigeons.

Thanks, Bill! I've seen the Eurasians down this way several times... a couple last winter, and now this one in Lacey. These are by far the best, closest shots I've managed of one to date, though...

 

[RickyRed2057]

You can find them at the duck pond at Point Defiance. Great shots

 

[Bill Anderson]

You can find them at the duck pond at Point Defiance. Great shots

Watch out for a storm wigeon. Rocky can explain what they are, as so far he is the only one who has posted up a photo of one.

 

[squirl033]

You can find them at the duck pond at Point Defiance. Great shots

Thanks, Ricky!

 

[RickyRed2057]

Is this a Storm Wigeon? Caught at the duck pond yesterday .

 

[squirl033]

Is this a Storm Wigeon? Caught at the duck pond yesterday .

No, the "storm wigeon" is basically just a rather rare variation of the American wigeon, that has white or buffy cheeks instead of the usual gray-brown. I've got a photo of one somewhere, but it's buried in my archives at the moment...

 

[Bill Anderson]

No, the "storm wigeon" is basically just a rather rare variation of the American wigeon, that has white or buffy cheeks instead of the usual gray-brown. I've got a photo of one somewhere, but it's buried in my archives at the moment...

I think that photo used to be your avatar if that helps you find it.