Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

So this past Sunday, I visited a cool spot called Pennypack Trust in Huntington Valley to check out whether I could get some early warblers that were migrating through. When I had arrived, it was already 5 o' clock and I only had about an hour and a half of light, but I managed to take a good number of pictures. As I headed out, a male Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis ) hid in a tangle near the feeders. While a favorite of many feeder watchers and birders, cardinals are a lot more shy and retiring than people realize and are more likely to heard making their obvious chip notes from the undergrowth or by the male's sweet, ringing song in the morning and afternoon. A male Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ) made an appearance with his mate and dabbled around in a small pond near the entrance. I marveled at the different patches and swatches of color that were apparent on its body. The second photo shows the speckled back suggesting that this bird might be younger...

While I was on my way to Parker River on Monday, I paid a visit to Heard's Pond in Wayland, MA. Other than the gulls and solitary Mute Swan ( Cygnus olor ), what caught my eye initially was a female Common Merganser ( Mergus merganser ) swimming in the unfrozen section of the pond. My eye was then drawn to the left with a large flock of Mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ) and some mingling American Black Ducks ( A. rubripes ). But near those birds was a duck I was surprised to see. What appeared to be a female Northern Shoveler ( A. clypeata ) has been causing me confusion ever since. After consulting Sibley, Nat Geo, and online sources, I'm fairly convinced that it is either female or an immature bird. Only fairly convinced however... There's part of me that wonders if it could be a hybrid too. But that seems a stretch. If anyone has a clue about what it might be, please comment below. Update: After emailing a former colleague of mine, he's confirmed to me t...