Pintail ducks (Anas acuta) early

Observation: I've been seeing ducks using a wetlands pond for the last week on the Palmer side of the Glenn Highway-Parks Highway overpass. From the road they definitely looked like northern pintails (Anas acura).

*LEO says: According to the The Palmer Hay Flats, Audubon Important Bird Area and State Game Refuge Bird Checklist, "Northern pintail start arriving around the middle of April in the Refuge". So that does sounds kind of early.

"The Palmer Hay Flats encompass a rich estuary of about 45,000 acres. This mosaic of freshwater streams, silty glacial rivers, saltwater, lakes, ponds, marshes, bogs, mudflats exposed by forty-foot tides, and upland birch forests draws tens of thousands of ducks, geese, swans, shorebirds, and other birds when they stop to refuel during migration to and from northern nesting grounds." Source: Audubon Alaska & Wildlife Viewing Program, Alaska Department of Fish & Game (Revised 2017)

Resources:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology – Bird Guide, "Slim and long-necked, the Northern Pintail has a distinctive silhouette. The male is easy to identify by his striking markings and long tail, but even the female can be recognized by her graceful, long-necked shape. The Northern Pintail is among the earliest nesting ducks in North America, beginning shortly after ice-out in many northern areas." Source: All About Birds, Northern Pintail