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Migratory Blue Bill
#4097341
03/04/13 02:05 AM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494
Guy
OP
THF Celebrity
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OP
THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494 |
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Guy]
#4097364
03/04/13 02:13 AM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,175
txbowhunt7
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,175 |
nice pics guy. if you want to shoot blue bills, just come out with us on the coast!
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Guy]
#4097367
03/04/13 02:13 AM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 866
FowledUp
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 866 |
Park Namer!!!
Very Nice pics!
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: FowledUp]
#4097376
03/04/13 02:16 AM
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 733
jseago
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 733 |
Our zoo lake is full of em too
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: jseago]
#4097495
03/04/13 03:05 AM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 645
drakedoctor
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 645 |
Live to hunt, hunt to live.
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: drakedoctor]
#4097515
03/04/13 03:12 AM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 523
Tvilbig
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 523 |
There is a park in Arlington at matlock and arbrook down the road from the academy that looks about like that. Had other puddle ducks mixed in but it was mostly blue bills. They have been there for a couple weeks now.
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Tvilbig]
#4097672
03/04/13 04:06 AM
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,836
SweetTea
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,836 |
OMG, this is the best slumber party ever!
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: SweetTea]
#4098632
03/04/13 05:29 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 5,594
Featherduster
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 5,594 |
Seems like every park has bbills. I haven't shot many either due to the locations I hunt
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Featherduster]
#4098702
03/04/13 05:58 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 5,396
Pittstate
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 5,396 |
They have been thick on my HOA ponds too. I shot my first one this early this year. I should have kept it to mount. My stomach won the battle of whether I should mount it or not!
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Pittstate]
#4098725
03/04/13 06:10 PM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 409
Roc
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 409 |
Lessers. Not a true "blue bill" which is a greater and that's what most people associate a blue bill as. Lessers are more common as they fly with ringers. I shot three this year and had to really research them since I had never shot one in the past.
Greaters are much tougher to see and shot.
Just saying so to not be confused. Don't take it the wrong way.
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Roc]
#4098896
03/04/13 07:31 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,175
txbowhunt7
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,175 |
Lessers and greaters are both scaup. Both scaup are called bluebills, just depends wether it's a greater or lesser. Same thing. The "true" bluebills you're talking about are in Australia. Not relevant here
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: txbowhunt7]
#4098980
03/04/13 08:03 PM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,365
fisher6688
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,365 |
i got a couple blue bills this last season. some were actually pretty mature and if i had the dough i would have mounted one
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Roc]
#4099155
03/04/13 09:31 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,843
ishootspoonies
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,843 |
Lessers. Not a true "blue bill" which is a greater and that's what most people associate a blue bill as. Lessers are more common as they fly with ringers. I shot three this year and had to really research them since I had never shot one in the past. Greaters are much tougher to see and shot.
Just saying so to not be confused. Don't take it the wrong way. you know, you are kinda right. The original name Bluebill came from the old timers who shot the big fat greaters. The colloquial name has evolved though to encompass all scaup. If im in a blind with birds working and call "bluebills", and the guy next to me corrects me with a "no, those are lesser scaup.", they are getting a swift kick in the nuts.
I like spoonie, his humor is dryer than my duck lease.
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: ishootspoonies]
#4099172
03/04/13 09:39 PM
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,866
texasdude28
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,866 |
One of my hunting spots is a real bluebill producer, beautiful birds!
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: texasdude28]
#4099274
03/04/13 10:21 PM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 409
Roc
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 409 |
Just pointing out they are different and easy to confuse the two. I would bet a lot of duck hunters think they are the "same". It's always good to be able to I.d. birds properly.
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Roc]
#4099543
03/05/13 12:12 AM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494
Guy
OP
THF Celebrity
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OP
THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494 |
DU website says lesser is called a blue bill.. Lesser scaup Male scaups have light gray, almost white bodies, blackish chests and a very dark head. Females are dark brown with a distinct white patch at the base of the bill. In flight, look for the white stripe on the trailing edge of the wing in both sexes. The bill is blue, hence the gunner’s nickname “bluebill.”http://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-biology/shortcut-to-duck-id#11
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Tvilbig]
#4099759
03/05/13 01:48 AM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 12,987
hoof n wings
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 12,987 |
They've been there since November. Same at the ponds at work, lots of Blue bills, Mallards and Wigeons There is a park in Arlington at matlock and arbrook down the road from the academy that looks about like that. Had other puddle ducks mixed in but it was mostly blue bills. They have been there for a couple weeks now.
I'd ask him if he's pregnant. He missed a s__tload of periods. I'll take "things that look like a uterus" for $200 Alex.
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: hoof n wings]
#4103656
03/06/13 03:13 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,071
sprigsss
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,071 |
Pond here in Snyder always gets a good size flock of canvasbacks that will take up residence for the entire season. Usually a few bluebills and ringers mixed in with them.
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: ishootspoonies]
#4103728
03/06/13 03:36 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 5,396
Pittstate
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 5,396 |
Lessers. Not a true "blue bill" which is a greater and that's what most people associate a blue bill as. Lessers are more common as they fly with ringers. I shot three this year and had to really research them since I had never shot one in the past. Greaters are much tougher to see and shot.
Just saying so to not be confused. Don't take it the wrong way. you know, you are kinda right. The original name Bluebill came from the old timers who shot the big fat greaters. The colloquial name has evolved though to encompass all scaup. If im in a blind with birds working and call "bluebills", and the guy next to me corrects me with a "no, those are lesser scaup.", they are getting a swift kick in the nuts. Notes taken.....I like my NUTZ
Last edited by Pittstate; 03/06/13 03:37 PM.
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Pittstate]
#4104941
03/06/13 11:48 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 6,228
Jeff Elder
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 6,228 |
Greaters are broad bills and lessors are blue bills or black heads
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Jeff Elder]
#4105083
03/07/13 01:00 AM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494
Guy
OP
THF Celebrity
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OP
THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494 |
Delta Waterfowl calls lesser bluebill as well,or little bluebill.. http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/research/bios/lesserscaup/index.phpI see why their population is declining, that pic I posted, that is about 55 to 60 ducks, only 5 I count are hens.. That seems real low (about 9% hens).
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: Guy]
#4105136
03/07/13 01:22 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,951
Sniper John
gumshoe
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gumshoe
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,951 |
For grins I did a google search and scanned throught he first 3 or 4 pages of sites. I only clicked on hunting/bird identification/birdwatching/dictionary sites. I omitted or did not count discussion and cookie cutter sites. I quickly jotted down the number of common name references given for each lesser and greater scaup. Lesser Scaup Number of references that call a Lesser Scaup a.... 1 x bluebill 3 x little bluebill 1 x river bluebill 2 x broadbill 1 x river broadbill 1 x blackhead 1 x bullhead 1 x blackjack 1 x shuffler
Greater Scaup Number of references that call a Greater Scaup a.... 5 x bluebill 1 x big bluebill 3 x broadbill 3 x blackhead 1 x greyback 1 x shuffler 1 x american scaup 2 x raft duck 2 x flocking fowl 1 x flock duck 1 x snuffler
Note that Scaup was not considered to be two separate species until 1938. Before 1938 for all practical purposes hunters thought they were hunting a single species. Some of the names above are certainly regional and from a time taxonomists and hunters considered both North American Scaup to be the same bird.
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Re: Migratory Blue Bill
[Re: FowledUp]
#4105711
03/07/13 04:29 AM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494
Guy
OP
THF Celebrity
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OP
THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494 |
I know, I learn my lesson. Every Barney in north dallas is there now, setting up next to me taking pics, even had a barney take a pic of me, I told him to watch where he points that thing!!
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