Canvasback Duck!

 I have become a little obsessive about checking the birder's discussion group throughout the day. Especially if I am going out, the last thing I have to do is look to see if there have been any new postings.

That paid off in a big way yesterday. Heading out to run errands, I opened the "group" page and found a mega-rarity in the headline.

 Bruce Mactavish had found a Canvasback Duck sleeping with other diving ducks at Kenny's Pond, less than 5 minutes away.

 Quickly, I realigned my list and headed straight for Kenny's Pond.

 By the time I arrived, the Canvasback was awake and busy with morning feeding and preening.

 What an amazing profile on this bird! The beak and the sloping head make even its profile stand out as I peered through my binoculars across the pond.

 Strolling around to the south side, I was able to see the bird better where I watched it for about 30 minutes. It covered a lot of space during that time but seemed quite comfortable.

This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see this species in Newfoundland. That first and last (until today) documented sighting was in 1973....41 years ago.