I reported a female Surf Scoter near the dam at Caesar Creek.  I got a good
look at the bird through a good scope in good light.  After sorting through
the field marks and consulting Sibley, I was confident of the
identification. Later I found that Bob Foppe had entered a White-winged
Scoter sighting from the same location at about the same time.  Now I know
Bob to be a careful and knowledgeable observer, so I reconsidered my
identification, but thought there was no need to change it.  Then Larry
Gara called me to say that Jim Hickman had seen a scoter at the same
location and clearly seen the white secondaries when the bird waved its
wings.  That, of course, is incontrovertible.

There is always the two-bird hypothesis, but I have never liked that dodge.
 In the circumstances I think I must withdraw my report.  Sorry 'bout that.

Cheers,

Bob

--
Robert D Powell
Congress Farm Research Institute
Wilmington, OH, USA
[log in to unmask]
http://rdp1710.wordpress.com

Nulla dies sine aves

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