Hi all,
I saw what I believe to be a red-breasted merganser in the lake behind my
house about an hour ago. It was bathing, so I did not see the crest (it was
slicked down). It was gray-brown on the back, with a little bit of white
along the wings. Most notably, there was no white patch on the chin. The
feet and bill were orange, and the bill was very long and thin.
Unfortunately, by the time I'd ran to the house for my camera, I couldn't
relocate the bird. A neighbor was getting out his mower for the backyard
and may have spooked the bird.
Rachel Echols
Chester, VA
