smoking duck?

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Wigeon. Say the word. WIDGE-un. Isn't it fun just to say it.

Wigeon is one of my favorite names in all of bird-dom. Its origin is something of a mystery. One of my sources says that it comes from the French vigeon, vingeon or gingeon. But even that's uncertain. Apparently, at some point in time in the Old World, someone saw a dabbling duck on a fresh-water lake and said, "Oh my gosh. It's a wigeon." And it stuck. When I was born my Mom looked at me and said, "Oh my gosh. It's a Stephen Lyn." And it stuck as well. If I had been a dabbling duck, things would have gone differently.

Once upon a time, the duck in the photo was called a baldpate or smoking duck (not to be confused with smoked duck) because of the white spot on its forehead. But then someone decided it was related to the Eurasian wigeon, so our duck's name was changed to the American wigeon.

They migrate through the Tennessee Valley in late fall and early spring. Occasionally they will turn up in the local Christmas Bird Count, but not often or in great numbers. If you see one, please let me know.

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