Hi all,
One thing I would take note of is the eye colour in the photos - red like a
Grey Teal rather than dark brown like a female Pintail.
Cheers again,
Ed
On 04/05/2012, at 7:29 AM, "david taylor" <> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks Robert and Gary on your further discussion on this bird. Just in
> terms of your comment on the "greyness" of the bird Gary Ive just added a
> couple of further images of the bird which I think show the birds "browness"
> in overall plumage ( excuse my laymen like descriptions!). It does appear
> most feedback has been Grey Teal - I must confess though the upright tail
> keeps making me curious and wasnt a passing moment - we watched the bird for
> sometime and this never varied. Wierd Grey Teal? Sounds likely. But as Bob
> has indicated - perhaps room for thought still? Would be great to hear some
> further feedback from those with knowledge of northern hemisphere waterfowl.
>
> cheers and thanks again
>
> David Taylor
>
>
> On 04/05/2012, at 3:52 AM, Gary Davidson wrote:
>
>> I live in western Canada so have a fair bit of experience with Northern
>> Pintail. This bird does not look like a Northern Pintail (NOPI) to me. I
>> don't think I have ever seen one looking so grey; female pintails are brown.
>> Furthermore, NOPI should not be moulting in April! They are here now and in
>> full breeding plumage.
>> Now, having said all that, could the green slime be affecting colour? And if
>> this bird has been in the 'wrong' hemisphere for any length of time, could
>> moult sequences have been disrupted? Things to ponder, I suppose.
>> I will pass on the pictures to a couple of my "non-Birding-Aus" friends and
>> see if any think it could be a NOPI, if so, I'll let you know.
>> Gary
>>
>> --- On Thu, 5/3/12, Robert Inglis <> wrote:
>>
>>
>> From: Robert Inglis <>
>> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Help with ID on a duck please
>> To: "Birding-Aus" <>
>> Received: Thursday, May 3, 2012, 4:18 AM
>>
>>
>> With reference to David Taylor’s very interesting question about the
>> ‘strange’ duck he saw on the University of Queensland campus out there at
>> Gatton in the Lockyer Valley in SE Queensland (an area which was devastated
>> by, unprecedented in white man’s time, floods last year) I would like to ask
>> a question with the following context in mind.
>>
>> Although I have been birdwatching for nearly 40 years I have never come to
>> grips with moult. Although I have been photographing birds for most of that
>> time and some of the most expert people in Australia have been very
>> patiently trying to educate me in the understanding of moult I seem to be
>> too dumb (or too old) to take it all in. I’m tempted to give those people
>> names but I really shouldn't embarrass them so I won’t. But I say to them
>> “Don’t give up.” I love youse all.
>>
>> Anyhow..........
>> The question is:
>> Why is David Taylor’s ‘strange’ bird not a Northern Pintail female
>> undergoing moult of the primaries and, possibly, the secondaries – as has
>> been suggested?
>> Is it because it is in Queensland? (Oh, that is facetious, Bob and should be
>> struck from the records).
>>
>> I have not yet seen a pintail of any description so I am clutching at straws
>> here but I have consulted “Wildfowl” by Steve Madge and Hilary Burn as well
>> as HANZAB (we all know what that is, don’t we?). Having done so it seems to
>> me that there is a possibility, small though it might be, that David, et
>> all, has found something very ‘interesting’.
>>
>> Why isn’t David’s bird a Northern Pintail female undergoing moult of the
>> primaries and, as it has been suggested, the secondaries?
>>
>> In asking this question, I am hoping that those birders who have had
>> extensive experience with observing Northern Pintails will respond. After
>> all, the majority of Australian birdwatchers with experience of northern
>> hemisphere birds come from...............the northern hemisphere. At least
>> that is my observation. A few Australian boundary-ed birdwatchers probably
>> only see one or two Northern Pintails in their entire life. As I said, I
>> haven’t seen any and I confine my observations to the mainland of Australia.
>>
>> I realize the shortcomings of digital photography (having been involved with
>> it for 11 years) and therefore I understand why David’s images vary in the
>> colours of the plumage of this bird but, understanding those technicalities,
>> I can see, as David saw, that this bird is ‘different’ to the average Grey
>> Teal. My initial reaction was that it is always wise to not look for a
>> rarity and to simply look for an aberration when observing something which
>> looks ‘different’. My experience at that location is that the common ducks
>> include Grey Teal so that is what I initially advised David . However,
>> further consideration encouraged me to suggest that this bird might, only
>> might, be something else.
>> As I read it, David’s bird might have a rufous wash over the head and the
>> iris might be somewhat different in colour to that of Grey Teal. If so that
>> could indicate Northern Pintail female.
>> Not Northern Pintail juvenile as the plumage is quite different.
>>
>> In the course of education (of me in particular) I would like those birders
>> who have had experience with Northern Pintail females (from an observer’s
>> point of view) to come forward and voice an opinion.
>> Is that too much to ask?
>>
>> Please understand that I am not being critical of anyone but simply wanting
>> to ensure that an opportunity is not missed.
>> I don’t mind if I am proven to be way of track here.
>>
>> A ‘proverb’ from the latest book I am reading “In advising a friend, seek to
>> help, not please”. (The good Book – a secular bible- by AC Grayling)
>>
>> Bob Inglis
>> Sandstone Point
>> Qld
>> http://www.photos-n-guides.com/ (my new and expanded website – still a work
>> in progress so please forgive the errors and omissions)
>>
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>
> David and Marg Taylor
> Brisbane
>
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