18/02/2024 Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

Great Grey Shrike: I started the day over in a fantastic woodland, the remnants of an ancient royal forest in Nottinghamshire, Sherwood Forest. 

Meeting up with tom Marshall and Matt Woodward, two legends who I've not seen in far too long a time.  

Made legendary as the home of the famous outlaw in the ballads of Robin Hood this 400 acre forest, surrounded by lowland heathland this is one of the premier places in the UK to see the famously scarce lesser-spotted woodpecker. Our main target for the day although we only had a brief male calling before flying overhead and out of sight. 

We moved on to Buddy Common where we got wood lark singing and this smart shrike. the bird was predictably mobile and ranging across areas without access so it was tricky to get anything decent on it, but good to see all the same. 

 

Lesser Scaup: After a laugh and chinwag over a cup of coffee and some scran in the visitor centre coffee shop I moved on back home and headed to Woolston in Warrington to try my luck with the lesser scaup.

Dave Spencer refund the lesser scaup  at Woolston Weir after it being found over the bund on Woolsten Eyes NR. The bird after relocating here was in a poor light and at some distance, let's hope it goes back to the Eyes and shows better. 

13/06/2023 Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire .

Lesser Scaup: This trans-Atlantic vagrant that breed in northern and central North America in lakes, rivers, marshes, and wetlands with shallow water. It migrates for the winter to southern North America and northern South America where it can be found on lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and coastal bays.

And on occasion they turn up on our freshwater lakes and reservoirs. This individual has taken up residence on a large res in Oxfordshire for several weeks now and I couldn't resist the pull of a rare bird while passing.

The bird was associating with a large group of tufted ducks that were bobbing around in the most sheltered part of the res as the day I turned up was a very windy day, I thought I was going to get blown int the water while crossing the causeway. The bird showed well and came close at times, perhaps pushed in by the strong winds? Either way its. atop bird to catch up with. 

09/09/2013 Pennington Flash

Lesser Scaup: With autumn the changing winds bring with it American migrants, like this diving duck that migrates across the pond.

In America it is colloquially known as the Little Bluebill or Broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill.

Here its called a Lesser Scaup! Well I think I prefer Little Bluebill.

This bird has taken up residence at Pennington Flash and has been showing incredibly well due to its appetite for bread.

So on my way to penny I stopped off at Morrison's and picked up a brown loaf, when I arrived on the far side of the flash the bird was enticed in by a few slices.

I thought this behavior was very unusual as the rest of the Tufted Ducks it was flocking with never came close to the bread. And the only other Lesser Scaup I had seen last year at Burton Mere was very flighty and you could tell it would never come for the bread.



I am assured its not an escapee, no ring! And people were telling me this behavior is not all that unusual, someone even told me they were feeding Goosander bread the other week.

03/03/2013 Burton Mere Wetlands

Lesser Scaup: The phone goes and its a txt from Joan who was working at BMW "Sacup in front of reception in pool" I was at Burton Point looking for Hen Harriers and getting nowhere so I hurried back to BMW.

Brilliant, it was still there and I got some great views through the scope then it flew off on to the old meres, even better as the drake bird was just a few meters away!

I was so pleased my first Scaup! I was ready to tick it off my list when when people started saying it was a Lesser Scaup!

OK I have seen a lesser before it was smaller then a Tufted Duck with darker dirty looking sides with a notch on the back of its head.

I was a little disappointed as a Scaup would of made it on to my LIFE AND YEAR LIST. Oh well what a good bird for the reserve and this time the pictures where a little better.

This photo shows why it was a Lesser Scaup and not just a normal one, see the black nail on the end of its bill, well on this bird, the Lesser its is small and narrow on the Scaup it is large and flatter! The Lesser also has a different shaped crown and slightly different back.



I spent the rest of the day doing the RSPB Skydancer event at Parkgate and got two male Hen Harriers, one sub adult and one full, awesome birds!


SEE THIS LINK FOR MORE ID: http://tiny.cc/u2vetw

03/02/2013 Shotwick Cop Hole pool

Lesser Scaup: I was tipped off yesterday by Stan the man who is a regular birder and volunteer at BMW but unfortunately I was a work so unable to go and see the bird. So the next morning Dawn and I took a quick trip across to Shotwick Boating Lake where I caught the bird on the nearby pool and thanks to Denzel, another local birder I got some cracking views!  

 

The bird was associating with our more common Tufted Ducks and stayed on the far side of the pool and I could only manage theses record shots.

This pic shows the subtle differences between Tufted Ducks and this Lesser Scaup, you can clearly make out its pale grey-ish back while Tufted have black backs, the Lesser Scaup is also rather smaller and lacks the tuft on top of its head which the Tufted Duck gets its name. Good YEAR and great LIFE tick!