Lesser Scaup - Leighton Moss, Lancashire

Unfortunately, I could only manage a brief visit of Leighton Moss this morning, but I hoped it would be enough to catch up with the two Lesser Scaup that had been present for most of the week.

Arriving, I dashed down to Lower Hide, in cold and windy weather, hearing multiple booming Bittern from the surrounding reedbeds. In the hide, a flock of approximately 30 diving ducks was present directly in front of the hide - the pair of Lesser Scaup were right at the front of this group!

The new camera was definitely put to good use!

My only previous Lesser Scaup was a very distant female at Ham Wall last Winter, so to see them both this close was a massive improvement. The male in particular was beautifully plumaged and more delicate than the more familiar Greater Scaup. The whole flock was diving regularly, which made them difficult to keep track of.

The female was also surprisingly distinctive

Back at Lilian's Hide, a quick scan produced the long-staying female Ring-Necked Duck. Unfortunately, this time it was even more distant than last month, sticking to the far side of the pool.

Slightly overshadowed by its rarer American cousins!

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