George Clark, Ed Hack and I found a male Ruddy Duck at Lake Runnemede 
this morning.  The bird is not yet in full breeding plumage, but it's 
striking nonetheless.  It was diving among a flock of ~25 Ring-necked 
Ducks and a pair of Scaup, the female of which we agreed with little 
doubt was a Lesser.  The male was challenging, as its head didn't have 
nearly the peaked look of the female's, but seemed more distinctly 
crowned (i.e., not as low and flat-topped) as we thought a Greater's 
should be.   If anyone else gets down there and sees these birds, we'd 
like to hear other opinions!

An Osprey was the only other bird of real note at Runnemede.  On the way 
back north, I swung by Lake Pinneo, which is now completely ice-free.  
There were 30 Hoodeds, 40 Commons Mergansers, 3 Ring-necked Ducks, and a 
single adult Ring-billed Gull.

At Deweys Pond (~70% ice-free), 3 Am. Black Ducks, 5 Wood Ducks, 2 
Blue-winged Teal, 5 Green-winged Teal, 3 Ring-necked Ducks.

Two sapsuckers drumming at home in Norwich this morning.

Chris

-- 
Chris Rimmer
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
P.O. Box 420
Norwich, VT 05055
802-649-8281 ext. 1
www.vtecostudies.org