hammy@ctt.bellcore.com (John Smith) (05/17/91)
Newsgroups: rec.birds I'm not sure about MK's in california, but at least one has been wandering around New Jersey for the last couple of weeks. It was seen (according to the hot line) over the Rutgers Ecological Preserve last week, by a group in the middle of the final exam of their field ornithology class!! Our apartment just happens to overlook the preserve - but of course we didn't see the kite. Would have been a state-lister too. On the subject of late rare bird reports. I'm curious just how rare tufted duck is in California. I was there last march (that's march of 1990 :-), and while wandering through Golden Gate Park (the long thin one with all the lakes?) I positively id'ed a pair - male and female - in the donut shaped boating lake. They were in a small flock of ring-necked ducks, and came up to me begging for handouts. I assumed that this was unusual, but not extremely so. I've usually had bad luck spotting anything but the most common birds. Lately though I've been reading several CA birding books (we're going again in July) and the tufted duck is reported in "one was seen in 1979..." terms, which makes me think my sighting was a lot more unusual. Anyway - good luck to all world series participants. I'll see you in Cape May! (We're just doing a century run this year) John. _____