This bird was first observed on February 12. It was usually too far out to get a decent look with a scope and I dismissed her as a Red-breasted Merganser. On February 24, while scanning the flock of Hooded Mergansers that was close to the bank, I saw the bird and was able to pick out the white throat patch and the clean white breast; soon afterward, the entire flock flew. I thought it was a female Common Merganser but didn't feel comfortable with making that call. On February 27, I talked to Max Medley, who also birds Carters Lake often. He felt that it was a Common rather than a Red-breast. We met there early the next morning to confirm it before posting it to the Georgia Birders Online listserve. We ran into Pierre Howard and Bill Lotz at the lake and informed them of the bird. From there we checked the reregulation lake from the Hwy 136 bridge, which is where the bird was seen most often.

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