JRT,

I learned to my surprise some longish time ago that there are indeed some ducks that do perch. Sounds like a diver or grebe of some sort though.

Let's see now...dark plumage, reddish-yellow bill, shortish neck, medium size...er...erm...

Moorhens aren't uncommon....

C51! C51! Coooeeeeee....

Folks,

Dux:

LOL. We are a bit short on moors over here however a Prairie Chicken could be in consideration if they swim well. A Grebe came to my mind but I think that Grebes have a longer neck. The neck on this bird was longer than that of a duck and kinda "S" curved. As far as we both can figure out (C51 and I) it was a Cormorant. He says double crested but I did not see the tell-tale feathery unevenness on the head.

I do not believe it is mating season and if it is, even though I had recently bathed and combed my hair, I did not sufficiently interest the bird for it to raise its crest, provided it had one. When he opened his wings they seemed set back as one would expect with a diving bird. The legs of this creature were far back on the torso as would be expected with a Cormorant. I'm thinking Brent's Cormorant but that seems to me to be a west coast bird. So far we have definitely ruled out ducks, chickens and of course turkeys.

Every day is a good day. Sadly we do not have the beautiful blue skies of yesterday. This morning it is chilly and overcast. If I get to take a stroll this morning I will bring the camera and hope to see that bird again. If it will pose then I, the novice, will be able to get a definitive answer from the experten, namely you or C51.

Gents,

JRT, I spotted your problem immediately. You will never be able to approach these creatures if you reek of soap. Regular bathing is absurd, especially if soap is used, although the occasional dip in a stream is acceptable. Then if you really want to zone in on those nervous birds, visit the local cow pasture and roll in a couple of meadow muffins - three is better but one is simply not enough.

I had ruled out Brent's since I seem to remember you mentioning an orange or yellow bill. 'S' neck implies possible Anhinga. I'd still bet at Double-crested Cormorant, I believe the crest is only visible from about March 'til May.

Folks,

That's it! I have finally, after very little effort and at precious little expense to myself, determined that the bird in question simply must be...... Drum roll please.......

The rarely seen Brent's Double Crested, Grebish looking, Mock Anhinga feathered, wet nesting pygmy Condor. I am away to look that very interesting fowl up in the 900,000 pages of the HWH Handbook, special avian supplemental edition, with color illustrations and beautiful hand engravings made entirely under water.

Chaps,

OK, that's some type of Cormorant then but its smaller size might suggest the Shag - phalocrocorax aristotalis. Don't know if you have them over there. Very rare over here is the Double-crested Cormorant

We got the Azorean Yellow-legged Gull on Sunday after much deliberation and not enough libation Actually, non of the latter at all, in which case we might well have come up with a pair.

G'day Lads,

Today we've had the first specs of white fluffy things falling from a grey sky, I think we used to refer to it as snow. The stuff melted before hitting the ground and good riddance I say, can't stand moving it off my pavement. With strong winds it has been bitterly cold, so what better than to swim 2100 m in roughly 60 minutes and then spend some time being boiled in a nice hot sauna.

Add to that some Tandoori chicken for din-din and I'm a happy camper.

I have been spending some hard earned money (spend it while it lasts I say) and finally taken the plunge with a new īputer, one that will run most things at insanely high speeds; notably iRacing, but I also wanted some extra power for BoB II. The latest 2.10 update with multi-skins for ze German bombers was a bit too much for my old trusty single core to cope with.

I'm much deligthed with Windows 7 do far, leaving good old XP by the wayside.

Oh, and I celebrated by picking up a copy of RoF because I found it a a resonable price at the local games store. Now I'm debating with myself whether to get any of the add-on planes.

Very nice graphics, quite challenging to fly. Dat's my quick review.

Folks,

Dux:
Shag?? Did you type shag? OK, I shamefully admit that some southerners have been accused of doing that with our four-footed critters but NEVER with birds..... Hmmmm. Of course there was that one time when my cousin Bubba got that female parrot for Christmas. Some of the things that parrot was heard to say later did cast a shadow of doubt, but nothing was ever proved.

A bird in the hand is worth two seen in the bush.

MG:

Way to go my friend. After all that hard work you more than deserve it. Now we have someone who can report on BoB2 with the latest patch.

Otherwise, it would seem that a piping hot swim, a boiling sauna and then wolfing down a dish of red, hot Tandoori chicken would not only prepare you inside and out for the Danish winter but the traditional place of Christian eternal punishment should you have the misfortune to go there as well.

Folks,

Dux, C51:

I did not walk down to the river today so I have not seen the Cormorant again. After looking at many photos both in my own books and from the Internet I am bound to side with C51. The most likely suspect is Phalacrocorax auritus or the Double Crested Cormorant. Their range is from our coast to just a little farther west of us. Perhaps I can get a photo soon, or I may never see one here again. You never know what you're gonna see when you don't have your camera do you? I didn't even have my big 10X50 glasses.

Good Day Lads,

Old Dux, congrats on the Azorean Yellow-legged Gull, I believe that has only been a countable bird for a few years. That one deserves ample post-sighting libation. Double-crested Cormorants were scarce in Ontario 25 years ago, but now there are countless numbers of them. The Great Lakes fishing industry is not impressed.

JRT, it is never bad to get an unexpected Shag by the riverside, but it is more likely that you just saw a Boobie and thought it could be a Shag. Brown Boobie would be the most likely of the Boobies. Or it could have been a first winter Red-necked Grebe if the bird was a bit smaller.

McG, my mouth is watering and my hands are twitching at the thought of eating Tandoori followed by RoF on your wicked fast computer. Much deserved I say. The snow has started north of Toronto but has not arrived in the city yet. I usually bet on the winter winds to do my shoveling for me. Or patience helps. I have never waited more than 6 months for the snow to disappear on its own. good to hear W 7 is working well for you

Chaps,

C51,

The AYLG has only recently been split over here which explains why many never bothered with it until quite recently. This one had been around for about a month and ignored by many - probably to their cost because it hasn't been reported for two days.

JRT,

A pair of Boobies almost always accompany a Shag - I don't know how you could have missed them unless something like a beaver distracted you.

And that's enough of that...