Nature Done Wright

Incorporating the Celery Farm and Screech Owl Companion blogs

April 5, 2013

Not a Call Duck at Phairs Pond

Chris
Takacs and Denise Farrell reported a white domestic duck at Phairs Pond on Monday. I was expecting a white rubber duckie April Fool's Day prank, but they insisted it was real.

I photographed the elusive duck (above) and described it to Marsh Warden
Emeritus Stiles Thomas, who ventured to say it was a Call Duck (without seeing the photo).

Bird whiz Rick Wright posted a comment saying that he thought it was more likely a "white 'sport' Wood Duck or Mandarin Duck."

A bell went off, and I tracked down someone who might have a duck such as this. He confirmed that it is his female White Mandarin.

I asked if the bird's appearance on April 1 was an April Fool's joke, and he pleaded the fifth.

Mystery solved! Case closed! We can now move on with our lives.