FINALLY!

I found that smug little bastard today, that fancy little beast of a bird: the Tufted Duck!  I was about to type that it only took me three tries and about 4.5 hours of searching, but that would only be for this particular duck.  Over the last couple years I don't even want to know how many hours of searching I have done, mostly scanning mind-numbing numbers of scaup.  Phew.  It's over.  Success.  And I managed to refrain from snipping his prissy little tuft off too.


He was chumming around with his Ring-necked buddies at Lacamas Park in Camas, exactly where he was supposed to be the last couple times I looked.


He showed off a couple moves for me: the dive and the neck stretch.



Kind of hard to believe my search is over.


He's a jerk for sure, fancy and he knows it.  But that's all part of his charm...  Good times!

Comments

  1. I LIKE you

    hee hee....I want to go birdng with YOU
    hee hee...cut off his what?
    I think all in all..I think the jerk was worth it..don't you..hee hee snort snort

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  2. What will-power and restraint you have!

    Of course, you'd have had to CATCH HIM first - but that would be a whole 'nother chase story :o)

    Congrats!

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  3. Those jerky kerks always have that mysterious attraction

    Congratulations on the find and photo documentation.
    So...you didn't just catch a Scaup and glue some feathers on the back on its head???

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  4. I must have just missed you! My husband and I went out there today and found him. I too have fruitlessly scanned duck flocks for one of these guys before. What a cool bird to finally lays eyes on. So close too! Glad you persevered.

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    Replies
    1. Oh man, too bad we missed each other! Glad you got to see him too!

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  5. LMAO
    HIP HIP HOORAY...good for you, your determination paid off..
    HE Is a lovely specimen too...
    now if I can just figure out this word verification...hmmm

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  6. Props on defeating your nemesis. I went and stared at my local Tufted today and found that I left my goddamn camera battery on the charger at home. At least I have hundreds of pictures of it already, mwuhahahahahahaha!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Jerk. Not as big of a jerk as a Tufted Duck, though.

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  7. Well worth the time it took to spot him. He's a handsome fellow!

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  8. Congrats on your find! He blends right in those Ring-necked ducks!

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  9. Congrats Jen! Your Tufted Duck is a handsome dude!

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  10. I thought the "little bastard" was the Belted Kingfisher. Great work, Jen.

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  11. You are a freakin riot. Congrats! We've had a tufted duck in the area since last fall. I haven't gotten a real good photo of it yet. Nice dedication to the cause. Next bird?

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