toowoombabirdobservers.org.au

On Saturday morning Plaxy Barratt, Darren Fielder and I visited several wetlands in the Lockyer Valley, several of which were dry. At Lake Galletley the three of us saw a dark, low-lying duck with a fanned tail, no white rump and a typical duck bill. Musk Duck was cancelled out because of the shape of the bill; hardhead because of the lack of white backside, and; it certainly wasn't a freckled duck due to the shape of the head and overall plumage. All three of us came to the conclusion, eventually -I needed coaxing, that it was either a female or immature/juvenile Blue-billed Duck. (It would be geat if someone else could get there see the bird and put paid to any element of doubt.)