On New Year’s Day, a very rare duck – a Common Pochard — was identified by Vermont birders with help from others.  It was seen on the second and not seen for two days,  until today, January 5th.

Common Pochard taken Jan. 2 by Larry Master

Here is the alert issued on VTBIRD by Jim Mead.

Leave it to Ted Murin(one of Vermont’s Top Birders) to have the perseverance to try and relocate the Common Pochard for others to get a chance to see it. He called me about 25 minutes ago to tell me that he has in fact seen the Common Pochard this morning at 10:05 a.m. !!! I was close to my house when he called and raced home to get the word out to all of you ASAP. He was on the NY side of the Champlain Bridge when he found it and he just called me again to tell me that he is trying it from the VT side. It is very windy- about 15-20 mph from the NW. The ice edge is closer to the bridge now and the best place to see the duck at this time would be from the bridge. The Pochard is with a large mixed flock of ducks approx. 1/4 to 1/2 mile from shore and approx. 3/4 of a mile from the bridge. When he saw it, it was close to the ice edge. He said that the viewing is good aside from the wind. He also mentioned that there are 16 Bald Eagles there and that they are putting an attack on the ducks and it is quite a show.

I hope that many more of you get a chance to see this rare beauty.

Good luck to all and thank you very much Ted- nice job. Jim Mead