I took a quick break at work this afternoon to check email and found yet another email from John Hines. And not just a bird of local interest, but a major state rarity with a Tufted Duck at River Rd. in Wayland! That made for a long hour and a half to finish the day, but as soon as I could, I ran home to grab the scope and camera and headed off.
Arriving at about 5:15, there were a few Ring-necks in the water right by the side of the road. On the second scan, the gleaming white sides of the Tufted were obvious. I grabbed for the camera and watched the flock take off. A few minutes of scanning and they fortunately came back into view, although nowhere near as close. Since the road is heavily bordered by trees, it was rather difficult to get a clear shot and I ended up having to use manual focus, but I did get a few shots for documentation:
Even in the small size, look how obvious the white flanks are.