Have been studying an unusual scaup-like duck in the upper pond (above the fish ladders) at Damariscotta Mills for the past few days. Vantage points offer terrible light angles, plus the bird spends most of its time diving, which affects the "color" of its back. Basically looks like a Greater Scaup, with bill characters of Ring-necked Duck. When wet, and back-lit, the back might resemble the silver-grey of Scaup, but in different light, the back looks over-all dark, approaching black, as in RN Duck or Tufted Duck. The white flank is mottled, and has only a slight "hook" at its anterior upper point. The head is nicely rounded, with a slight "peak" at mid-point of crown only infrequently expressed.
But the bill has a wide, black "smudge" at the tip, unlike the crisp nail seen in both scaups. Behind this smudge is a wider whitish band, crossing the width of the bill. The base of the bill lacks the narrow, sharp white line that typifies Ring-Necked Ducks, instead there are matching roundish white "spots" on each side.
It's a frustrating spot to get photos, since "up-sun" places are inaccessible, private property, or thigh-high in drifts. But a few are here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pomarinejaeger/16637692865/in/photostream/
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