[Anomaly]

Greetings all!

I saw this bird today in Rithet's Bog in Saanich (Greater Victoria area). It was hanging out with about 30 Mallards in murky pools amongst the cat-tails. Initially I thought this was simply a female Northern Shoveler. But in my field guides the yellow eye belongs to the male and the female has a dark eye. Then I noticed it also seems there is more color on the wings than the females usually show (in my field guides). Is this maybe a juvenile male Northern Shoveler or a male in eclipse plumage or...?

[keithric]

Yes, it's a juvenile male Shoveler. Check out this link below for a shot of another one that's remarkably similar to your photos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34201377@N ... otostream/

[Anomaly]

Hi Keith
Thanks for your reply. That was my best guess and I'm happy to have it confirmed. I used to think that bird identification was pretty straightforward but as I get more into birding I find it's often more difficult than it seems - especially with young birds like this. It's great to have a site like this where beginners like myself can tap into the knowledge of those with more experience such as yourself.
Brian