On January 20th, 2007 in Soulsbyville, California, a male Smew (Mergellus albellus) was found by Steven Umland on a pond, accompanying many Mallards, and even some Ring-necked Ducks. This rare Eurasian species has been detected in the state of CA before, however: anytime this hard-to-get merganser appears (anywhere in North America), one must question the role of captivity in the bird’s sudden arrival. Fortunately, hundreds of birders have made the trek to see this bird with its cracked-ice beauty, and it has been well documented in the past weeks, both in photo and in video. The question still remains if this individual is an escaped captive, or indeed a rare wander, but in either case, it is providing nice birding experiences for many feather chasers.

For a nice looking video clip of the Smew actively swimming and diving, check out Les Lieurance’s website. And for further details, and certain discussion on the origin of the species and its continuing presence, check out the Calbirds birding page.

Best,
~Chad (02/01/07)