[EBB Sightings] Berkeley Marina Hybrid Duck

Hi EBBers,

At noon last Friday (12-8-06) I observed a strange duck at the Berkeley 
Marina.  A gross description goes like this:  head is dark (with green sheen 
in right light) with white spot much like nonbreeding male Bufflehead; 
crest on back of head is short and sparse with slight white frosting; eye is 
dark golden; bill a mix between merganser and bufflehead; lower body is 
white with slight buffiness; back is black; there are two unequal somewhat 
vague black spurs ala Hooded Merganser; tail has stiff tailed duck look.

The bird was associating with a group of about 20 Ruddy Ducks and one Common 
Goldeneye at the bay's entrance to the Berkeley Marina.  This group of ducks 
was just north of the concrete jetty at the entrance to the Berkeley Marina.

A couple of photos appear on Joe Morlan's website at

http://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/gallery.htm

Good birding,
Bob Battagin
Oakland