[Maine-birds] Leucistic Am. Wigeon (?), Eastern Rd., Scarborough

While looking at 6 Mute Swans on Eastern Rd. Trail this afternoon Jeff Webb and I observed what appeared to be a leucistic American Wigeon, not far from the Swans.with some Mallards & Black Ducks.  It was smaller than all the Mallards it was dabbling with, more delicate profile, with tinges of rust on a mostly white body and a contrasting, slightly darker, orange-pink head and neck.  Too far away to get images of, but we got good looks through binoculars.  It was definitely not a domestic duck (at first glance, before it slipped into the water I thought it might be a Cattle Egret due to the coloration.

This image (from a birding blog) resembles the duck we saw very closely:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOd7aJxImF6n1_b0r3tHfSwTF9sB8ew2mkOAqSIEv-SedzuBlGw9QNWxUQi5n4hA2ayqyAl5hRL8OHE48lVGJXkVV_NLKnte7SeLKMHlyDQyGURvTKsqqbdNe1KVdiptZbyZwW-NASJrE/s1600/Lucistic+Wigeon+O+res+Tophill+Low+100213+Leo.jpg

All in the same spot, off to the right in the last expanse of marsh before the woods that lead to the Public Works dept. buildings, there were also about 10 feeding Least Terns, a Virginia Rail that stepped out of hiding briefly, several Nelson's Sparrows darting around the grass, a Little Blue Heron and several Willets (all basically within the same field of view at the same time).  A little further down the road there was also a family group of about 35 Tree Swallows. 

Sean Smith

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