First discovered by a group of participants of the Waco Christmas Bird Count, a female basic plumaged Long-tailed Duck was discovered far south of its tundra pond nesting habitat, at the City of Riesel water treatment ponds in McLennan, Co. Texas.
Formally known as “old squaw”, the Long-tailed Duck has continued atleast through 9 January 2020.
Long-tailed Duck wintering range spans down both coasts of North America though typically no further south than California and the Carolinas. An extreme rarity in McLennan County, is also a sought after bird in Texas and most any location in the interior lower-48 of the United States.
Photos above are from my observation on 1 January 2020.
matthew-york.com 