Posted by Paul Bithorn on May 25, 2001 at 13:56:30:
And on the fourth day, the Good Lord decided to lift the "Curse of the Missing Masked Duck." After 3 hours of scanning the vegetation at the mitigation pond in Pembroke Pines, Ray Buckhholz from WPB located the once rare and elusive Masked Duck drake on the north (left) side of the tee on the boardwalk, halfway up the 45 degree turn looking towards the east (Look for tiny arrow on rail). It fed in the open for a half hour starting at 11:50 a.m and was still feeding when I left. Look for the Bulrushes (tall dark green sedge) where the two immature Green Herons are waiting to be fed about 30 yards out. The duck would dive approximately every 5 to 7 seconds and preen periodically, showing the white wing bars. You can follow the air bubbles to see where he is going to come up.The bill color appears to be intermediate between winter and summer plumages as it still has dark down the middle of the bill with the brilliant blue on the perimeter. There is white flecking directly behind the black on the head. Ray's wife Mary, J.J. O'Malley from Homestead and Bob Carlton from Lake Placid shared in the jubilation. Wally George, Jill Rosenfield, et al., had the duck feeding in the same spot this morning between 7 and 8 a.m. Life is really good................