Gadwall

Gadwall breed across the prairies of North America and the steppes of Asia and Europe. Erika and I chanced upon these Gadwall as they fed on Olympia’s Capitol Lake on 24 October 2020. I think of Gadwall as being abundant ducks across their range. One of the interesting aspects of eBird, however, is that their mobile apps indicate how often species are reported. Common species lack notation, infrequently reported ones sport a yellow dot, and rare ones are indicated by red dots. These symbols can cause some confusion, since they do not represent the birds’s actual status—they only indicate the frequency of their being reported. (If a bird is really rare, the app demands supplemental information.) I was surprised that my Gadwall were followed on the eBird list with yellow dots. When this happens, I always try to whip out my camera and take a photo.