Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca

Calvert  BBOWT Lake - 23rd Sep 2008 to 4th Nov (at least)

Photos copyright Tim Watts

Found by Calvert regular, Tim Watts while showing family members his local patch.  News was soon out and allowed a number of Bucks listers to catch up with this scarce species.

This un-ringed individual has been present until 29th October at least although it can be elusive as it seems to leave the site with some of the Pochards.

The following description courtesy of Lee Evans:-

An adult drake, emerging from its summer moult, with deep ferruginous-brown/cinnamon-brown head, black-toned upperparts, paler brown sides and flanks and heavily contrasting and gleaming white undertail-coverts. The head shape was typically domed or peak-crowned, with a striking pearly-white eye and a black tip to the bill. It was smaller than the accompanying Pochards and was rather small-bodied, with a long bill and neck, and a distinctly high forehead and peaked crown.

A hybrid was ruled out on the fact that the black on the bill was restricted to the nail and did not continue around on to the flanges of the bill. There was also no hint of any green in the head, nor any imperfections in the gleaming white of the undertail-coverts. Furthermore, the eye was pure pearly-white, with no dark influence.
 

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