On the Wing #5a: Rare Bird Alert

There is nothing quite as exciting (for a birder at least) as getting a rare bird alert. For the most part, the "rare" birds that appear on my eBird page are generally birds that are an unusual siting for that particular area. Just today, I have alerts for a Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) at Great Meadows, Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) near Duxbury Bay, and a Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)at Coachlace Pond in Clinton. While I've seen all of these birds before, their presence in these areas is deemed to be unusual or strange for that particular area. However, none of these sightings could compare the joy I felt when (finally!) after a month of visiting I was rewarded with the sight of a Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) that had been present at Great Meadows for much of the summer. The two pictures to the side are the best ones I took and illustrate the unique look that the bird possesses. While most of the pictures I took aren't crystal clear, the bird made it more difficult by dabbling with its head down allowing it to resemble a few of the brown lily pads that dotted its feeding area. But upon raising its head, the bird's distinctive waxy red bill, grayish head, and lengthy brown neck made it apparent that it was no eclipse Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) or molting Wood Duck (Aix sponsa). This bird certainly has made my year, but it's still only bird # 237. You see, I have a goal to reach 300 species by the end of the year. I have a good ways to go, but that will mean a lot of birding to get the amount of migrants, as well as "rare" birds that have appeared in the area. One can dream, but in this year of Olympic triumphs, I can always hope to go for gold!