Sunday, November 25, 2012: Today I Saw ....

Male Ruddy Duck -- James Island, SC -- November 25, 2012

            Today, Sunday November 25, 2012, I saw my FIRST EVER Ruddy Duck?  No, better than that!  I saw my first ever BLUE-BILLED RUDDY DUCK -- in my neighborhood pond!   As a birder who first learned of this duck on a Christmas Bird Count, I had not known that the male of this species had a blue bill in breeding plumage.  I learned that later after studying the bird guides a bit more seriously.  I never really expected to see a blue-billed Ruddy Duck here in SC since they breed in the western half of the United States, Mexico, Cuba and even Europe -- but not here!  They simply winter here in the eastern half of the United States. 

Male Blue-billed Ruddy Duck -- James Island, SC -- November 25, 2012

            I was out for a vigorous walk without the camera when I spotted him.  I immediately returned to the house for the camera and for Carl.  What a great find!  He was the only Ruddy Duck on the pond among the Mallards, Hooded Mergansers and Wood Ducks.  I wonder how long he will stay.  Since I began birding, he represents the first observed Ruddy Duck for our neighborhood.

           During the winter months, we normally see a dark, slaty-colored bill on male and female Ruddy Ducks here in SC, such as in the photo below.

Ruddy Ducks -- Bear Island WMA, SC -- March 6, 2010

        What a great find this was for my last day of a fabulous Thanksgiving and Birding weekend!  I will be back to work tomorrow but I will be thinking about my next blog post about this Thanksgiving break spent with family and spent birding in Florida!  We have interesting numbers to share so stay tuned! 

Citation:       
Brua, Robert B. 2002. Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/696