Northern Pintail

["michael hunter" <>]

Hi Trevor,
                I 've just been wondering how a bird in such apparantly
superb physical condition and in full breeding plumage got to be in Eastern
NSW at this time.

                 Three possibilities exist.
                  It has had an easy passage from the Northern Hemisphere
just recently.
                  It's been here for months or a year or more and
acclimatised .
                  It escaped at some time from a captive wildfowl collection
and gone feral.

                In general,  Northern Hemisphere ducks are not still in
fresh breeding plumage in mid August as far as I recall, and it might be
expected that a recent vagrant would be at least a little weatherbeaten.

                 If there is a register of wildfowl collections kept in
Australian zoos , wildlife parks and the like it might be possible to check
the third possibility.Does anyone know?

                 Nonetheless, if the bird's still there on friday week, I'll
be up there!

                                                     Cheers
                                                          Michael