Not the best image of this bird.
Found out it is native to Central America and the Gulf Coast, not  Northern Virgina.

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Spotted on Lake Audubon in Reston, Va on Saturday. It was a strange looking bird that I could not identify. Legs like a turkey, orange popsicle looking beak, really tall.


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Luckily the word got out to the local birding community and there were people out on the lake looking for it. They told me the name which I was unfamiliar.

Later in the day I met a guy at the lake's boat ramp who drove in looking for the bird. No boat for him so he was stuck with a scope on land.

He had no luck from this spot so I paddled him around in the canoe until we found it. Here is a closer shot. Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Hiding with the mallards
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Not much of image quality but the fact that it is a rare bird off course is good enough to share. I was glad to see so many people out and about looking for a bird.

While on the topic of birds, here is a pic of some bird poops with split shot in it. Picture proof that they do eat split shot:

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Looks like a fulvous tree duck.  Not sure their native range, but I know they are very common in Mexico.  I think they have been expanding their range.  I live in Mississippi and several have been seen on one of our waterfowl refuges during duck season.  Here is a picture I found on line.

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