Greetings from Switzerland!

If you recognized the tufted duck in yesterday’s post and then guessed “Europe,” you were correct! Please wait six to eight weeks for your prize to arrive.

In any case, the particular spot in Europe to which Anne has dragged me this time is Geneva, Switzerland, and I am sad to say that I have yet to see a tufted duck. Instead, check out this handsome drake, my very first red-crested pochard (Netta rufina). Yowzah, eh? There were also a few mallards and a bunch of common mergansers on Lake Geneva, but I was a little surprised that this was the only other “duck” I’ve seen so far.

There was also this one common sandpiper, …

a female blackbird, …

a treecreeper, but I’m not sure yet if it’s of the short-toed or Eurasian variety, …

and a whole bunch of great crested grebes. Long-time readers should recognize these last four from my time in South Holland.

Tomorrow we’ll take the train up to Metz, France to meet some relatives. I’ve never been there, but I bet it’ll be nice, and if I find anything pretty or interesting, I’ll be sure to let you know.