Rusty Blackbird, Ruff

[Joel Beyer <twobirders at juno dot com>]

We saw both the female Rusty Blackbird and the Ruff this morning.  The
Blackbird was still at the third bridge on the Riverdale Parkway.  It was
fascinating watching this bird use it's bill to pick leaves out of the
mud and water and flip them back and forth looking for a meal.  
We observed the supposed Ruff at Farmington Bay for over an hour and came
to the conclusion that it is indeed a Ruff.  Although not identical to
the depictions in any of our books, it's plumage, posture, size and
overall appearance eliminated all other possibilities.  The deciding
factor was the tail markings.  It flew about ten feet, enabling us to see
the white oblongs on both sides of the tail, forming a U pattern. 
According to the books, this pattern is unique to the Ruff.

Joel and Kathy Beyer

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