Mottled ducks, usually restricted to Florida wetlands, have been showing up in the Midwest this summer, according to reports: Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, and now Kentucky and Wisconsin. This is a species easily overlooked, with some close resemblances to mallards and black ducks, especially this time of year, when those common species are in their drabber juvenal and eclipse plumages. So, if you don't hear many birds singing, and you've already sorted out the shorebirds, take a fresh look at the ducks out there. This seems like a good summer for surprises. The good field guides give some useful discriminations, but first look for what you scan for in Florida--a noticeably paler-headed bird without visible white when on the water--then work on the details. Best of luck, Bill Whan Columbus ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]