Local Wildlife Sightings, December 2023

 A report of Waxwings in Litlington (a Cambridgeshire village around four miles from Royston) on the morning of the 1st encouraged me to visit, but sadly I arrived too late (as at Berkhamsted in November) and the birds were not reported again. The weather (dull, initially cold but later warmer with periods of rain) did not invite me to go outside often and on the sunny days I either had other things to do or drove further afield. A single Snipe from the viewpoint was the best that I could manage on a visit to Amwell on the 5th (Smew had been reported there a couple of days beforehand), whilst a walk up to Hatchpen Farm on the 7th provided me with a record count of 11 Moorhens on the pond (you can see that I'm clutching at straws for sightings!). A flock of 53 Golden Plovers was seen near Therfield on the 8th.

Common Snipe, Amwell NR, 5 December

Having finally recovered from November's viral infection I promptly developed a 'proper' cold, which laid me low for a few days. On the 15th I decided to work my way up the Lee Valley, starting at Cheshunt Lakes (9 Goosander seen), moving up to Stanstead Innings (Great Northern Diver still present and my first sighting of the first winter male Scaup) and finishing at Amwell, where I saw a female Smew from the viewpoint. In addition to the Goosanders, Scaup and Smew I also saw Red-crested Pochard (Stanstead and Amwell), Goldeneye (Amwell), Pochard and Tufted Duck: seven species of diving duck in Hertfordshire in a day.

Male (right) and Female Goosander, Cheshunt Lakes, 15 December

Juvenile Male Scaup, Stanstead Innings, 15 December

Whilst I was watching the Scaup, I noticed some interesting behaviour. A dead Mute Swan was lying face down in the water, away to my right - possibly a victim of bird flu (the bird was reported to the authorities). As I watched, a pair of swans swam rapidly over from the other side of the lake, followed (presumably) by their family of five cygnets. The lead swan reached the dead swan and gently pushed its bill under the feathers, as if trying to turn it over or revive it. It continued to do this for a couple of minutes, whilst the other swans gathered round. The swans stayed close to their dead relative for a few minutes before slowly moving away. Was this a sign of care and compassion for another of their species? If the dead swan was infected, I hope that the infection was not spread by this action.

Mute Swan 'investigating' another, dead, Mute Swan, Stanstead Innings, 15 December

Mute Swan Family with Dead Mute Swan, Stanstead Innings, 15 December

My walks up to Hatchpen Farm in December regularly produced at least four gull species (Black-headed, Common, Herring and Lesser Black-backed). Ravens were also regularly seen, with both a single near my house and two over Reed village on the 18th. I went on my last 'round the villages' walk on the 20th, seeing 39 species. Phillup's Lake again hosted lots of wildfowl, including eight Tufted Ducks and six Gadwall, and in the same area I saw a small group of young male Fallow Deer.

Male Fallow Deer, Reed End, 20 December

Tufted Ducks, Phillup's Lake, Reed End, 20 December

A Great Egret, seen at Tyttenhanger on the 22nd, was the last addition of the year to my Hertfordshire bird list (130). December ended on a windy and soggy note. Overall, 2023 was the third wettest year since I started keeping garden records in 1992, with 28.7 inches of rain.

Great White Egret, Tyttenhanger, 22 December

UK Wildlife Sightings, December 2023

 By the start of December bird migration is over and, with the exception of parties of Redwings, Fieldfares and (this winter) Waxwings roving the country looking for food, birds were settled in their winter quarters. However, the weather continued unsettled, with cold weather at the start of the month followed by warmer but also wetter and windier weather later. On one of the sunny days (in between spells of rain) on the 6th I visited St Albans, where I had hoped to add Firecrest (seen on the previous two days in Verulamium Park) to my year list. Of course, the Firecrest had gone but I did get a brief glimpse of the female-type Black Redstart (that had also been reported on the previous two days) on the Cathedral roof, whilst on the other side of the Cathedral one of the resident Peregrines was sunning itself and looking sweet and innocent above a pile of feathers of some of its victims. Back in the park, a male Kingfisher was fishing for Sticklebacks in the stream that runs alongside the lake and had drawn in a few bird photographers as well as many onlookers who stopped to admire it. I failed to get any photos of it fishing, but managed a few decent shots of it perched in the surrounding trees and bushes.

Peregrine on St Albans Cathedral, 6 December

Male Kingfisher, Verulamium Park, St Albans, 6 December

I visited Broom Gravel Pits (near Biggleswade, Beds.) on the 12th, where a large flock of Lesser Redpolls was reported to contain one or two Common ('Mealy') Redpolls. Common and Lesser Redpolls are regarded as separate species by some (including me) but as a single species by others. Looking, as always, to expand my UK bird year list, I searched for Common Redpolls in a flock of around 20 Lesser Redpolls, but was unable to find any convincing candidates. Nevertheless, I did take the opportunity to get some ok pictures of the Lesser Redpolls, feeding in (mainly) Birch Trees.

Lesser Redpoll, Broom Gravel Pits, 12 December

Having 'dipped' on a number of rare bird species in the previous few weeks, I set off for Staines Reservoirs (Middlesex) on the 14th, where at least one Black-throated Diver had been present for several days, with a degree of pessimism. On arrival, I set off across the causeway that separates the north and south basins where, on my last visit some years ago, I had seen an American Horned Lark (a great rarity). I soon saw at least two Black-necked Grebes, close to the causeway on the south basin, but the north basin, where the diver had been reported, appeared to be devoid of birds. I could see a bird watcher with a telescope at the far end of the causeway, but they disappeared as I approached - and still no sign of divers. Suddenly, as I approached the west end of the causeway, I noticed a Great Northern Diver (also reported here for several days previously) behind me, close to the causeway, and shortly afterwards a Black-throated Diver appeared, swimming towards me from the north western end of the north basin. Within a couple of minutes the two birds were almost together, and seemed to associate with each other for around five minutes, sometimes coming within 50 feet of me. Despite the extremely gloomy weather, necessitating the use of a high ISO and wide open aperture, I managed to get a few decent photos of the birds (below) and my best ever views of both species, albeit in their drab, winter plumage (both birds were juveniles). This has to rank as probably my best UK bird watching experience of 2023 and, combined with my failed November 'twitch' for the Pallid Swift, illustrates perfectly the highs and lows of a bird watcher's life.

Black-necked Grebe, Staines Reservoirs, 14 December

Black-throated Diver, Staines Reservoirs, 14 December

Great Northern Diver, Staines Reservoirs, 14 December

Black-throated (left) and Great Northern Divers, Staines Reservoirs, 14 December

On the 23rd I went on my last bird watching trip of the year of any note, visiting Snettisham, where I finally connected with Waxwings near the RSPB car park, and RSPB Titchwell, where I did some photography on the beach. The highlight here was a Purple Sandpiper, seen alongside a Turnstone and a Knot at Thornham Point, on a day when 15 wader species were seen.

Purple Sandpiper (Left-hand Bird) with Turnstone and Knot, Thornham Point, 23 December

Waxwing, RSPB Snettisham, 23 December

I finished the year with a UK (for this year, just England) list of 231 bird species, the same as in 2022. However, that might have been 232 because, whilst we were visiting my brother and his family in Lancashire on the 30th, Marsh/Willow Tits were visiting bird feeders at Sale Water Park along with the four commoner tit species. One bird in particular looked like a Willow Tit (in an area where this species occurs). However, the only bird that I managed to photograph on a dull, wet day was very likely the very similar Marsh Tit (image below).

Marsh Tit (I think), Sale Water Park, Manchester, 30 December

Local Wildlife Sightings November 2023

 The weather remained unsettled in the first half of November, with a mixture of wind and rain but with a few brighter, sunny days. Royston missed the worst effects of a couple of named storms. Temperatures dropped to just above freezing on a couple of nights, with a slight frost. Insect activity predictably dropped away, with just Winter Gnats, Bluebottles, Common Wasps and Eristalis hoverflies showing in sheltered, sunny areas by the middle of the month, although a single Red Admiral briefly fluttered into life on a cold but very sunny morning on the 11th.

Red Admiral on Ivy, Royston, 11 November

I had expected to see lots of autumn fungi appearing, with the combination of large amounts of rain, relatively mild temperatures and some sunny days, but this has certainly not been a vintage year for toadstools. However, I was able to find and photograph a variety of fungi growing on dead wood in Fox Covert.

Fungi Growing on a Log, Fox Covert, 6 November

The first Fieldfares of autumn arrived early in the month. At first they appeared, along with Redwings, in ones and twos, but by the middle of the month larger flocks were seen. Numbers of Goldcrests and Chaffinches, virtually absent from the area during the summer months, were present in greater numbers - doubtless swollen by arrivals from the Continent. Ravens were seen and/or heard in a number of places. I paid a visit to Phillup's Lake on the 9th. I hadn't expected to see the putative Scaup x Tufted Duck hybrid again but there it was, although the accompanying Tufted Ducks had gone. I took some more photos of the bird, both on the lake and when it flew from one end to the other, and have convinced myself that the bird is indeed a (female) hybrid - see the image below.

Scaup x Tufted Duck hybrid (note the lack of a tuft on the head, white feathering at the base of the bill but large dark area at the tip of the bill and dark back) with Coot at Phillup's Lake, Reed End, 9 November

Most of my local walks (I try to walk for at least an hour every day, unless I'm on the road) provide little of interest, but a walk up to Hatchpen on the afternoon of the 14th was more stimulating. There was rain as I walked up the hill towards Reed village, although with the weather clearing from the west. I had a surprise at Hatchpen Pond, where two Barnacle Geese were swimming about. However, before getting excited about a 'first' for my local patch and a rare (admittedly feral) bird for Hertfordshire I noticed some new 'Farmyard Geese' elsewhere on the pond. Every few years Mr Rand buys and releases some pinioned geese here and presumably these are intended as companions for the solitary farmyard goose that is the sole survivor from the last batch (and was ignoring the new birds). Of course, if the Barnacle Geese are seen to fly or disappear I will eat my words!

Barnacle Goose (presumed captive bird), Hatchpen Farm, 14 November

Further up the hill, the sun came out and birds started emerging. These included a flock of over 100 linnets, feeding in game cover and frequently flying from spot to spot, and our four commonest raptors (Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk). The last was taking an interest in the Linnets, which may have explained why they were so active. A single Corn Bunting, several Yellowhammers and a flock of 30 Fieldfares were also seen. I built up a list of over 30 species recorded, quite a lot for a relatively short walk.

A few of 100+ Linnets seen at Hatchpen Farm, 14 November

Red Kite, Hatchpen Farm, 14 November

Sparrowhawk, Hatchpen Farm, 14 November

Moving further afield, a Short-eared Owl was regularly reported hunting along the Baldock to Wallington road in the early part of the month. When I visited on the 6th I was lucky to see two: one hunting and the other sitting in a field. This appears to have been the only day when two owls were seen. One report of interest was a sighting of two Ring-necked Parakeets on a garden feeder in Therfield village. I wonder how long it will be before I add this species to my local patch list.

On the 17th I embarked on the longest of my local walks (and one that I rarely do), a there and back 10.5 mile slog (mainly) on the Icknield Way, from my house to Heydon Pig Farm, in Cambridgeshire. On the way, I saw a few Reed Buntings (the first I've seen locally this year) and, just across the Cambridgeshire border, a loose flock of 70-80 Corn Buntings. So this is where all my local buntings go in the winter! A Stonechat was also seen and lots of Redwings and (particularly) Fieldfares were feeding in the bushes along the route. Around 400 gulls were loafing at the pig farm, including a good candidate for an adult Caspian Gull. However, the star bird of the day was a female ('ringtail') Hen Harrier, seen in flight over rough grassland to the west of Heydon Grange Golf Club on the way back.

Corn Bunting (top) and Starling on wire, near Heydon, 17 November

Pigs and Gulls at Heydon Pig Farm, 17 November

Perhaps this long walk hastened its arrival, but overnight on the 17/18th I developed a Flu-like viral infection that laid me low for several days and was made worse by a disastrous trip to the Norfolk coast on the 21st (see my UK blog). I didn't get out much locally and saw nothing of interest until the 30th, when I decided to test my returning strength and fitness with a long walk round the villages of Therfield and Reed. I passed a small flock of eight Golden Plovers at Hatchpen Farm (possibly displaced by a partridge shoot that was going on as I walked up the hill towards Reed). The weather was extremely cold, with farm ponds iced over, which may explain why so many birds were found on ice-free Phillup's Lake. I counted 60, roughly half of which were Canada Geese. Also present were seven Tufted Ducks (no sign of the Scaup x Tufted hybrid) and an impressive six Gadwall (three males and three females), easily my highest count of this species on the lake. Coot and Mallard made up the numbers, whilst a small bird that dived and didn't reappear as I approached the lake was typical behaviour for a Little Grebe. My best sighting of the walk came on the way back down the Icknield Way from Therfield, when a Barn Owl put in a brief appearance - my first local sighting for three years!

Male Mallard (left) and Gadwall, Phillup's Lake, Reed End, 30 November

UK Wildlife Sightings November 2023

 I was back at RSPB Titchwell Marsh on the 3rd, looking for photos of birds in flight. A Velvet Scoter was seen on the sea, accompanying a large flock of Common Scoters and several dragonflies were still on the wing (mating pairs were seen!), on a generally quiet visit.

Black-tailed Godwit in Flight (and about to land), RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 3 November

Brent Geese in Flight, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 3 November

I was back on the Norfolk Coast the following week, looking for a juvenile Red-breasted Goose that had been reported at Warham Greens on the previous couple of days. I hadn't seen one of these increasingly rare geese in the UK for several years and was keen to connect with it. I spent 90 minutes with other bird watchers at the northern end of Garden Drove, looking for the bird but there was no sign, although a Pallid Harrier (presumed to be the same female bird that had wintered here in 2022-23) was spotted on the ground. I decided to explore further to the east and found the goose with Brent Geese on the saltmarsh, about half a mile away. It was very distant and kept disappearing from view: a poor 'record shot' is shown below. I passed on information about where to see the goose to the other bird watchers, but they didn't seem very interested, having just seem an immature White-tailed Eagle (one of the Isle of Wight releases)!

Poor 'Record Shot' of a distant juvenile Red-breasted Goose (Head down, 3rd from right), with Brent Geese between Warham Greens and Stiffkey, 7 November

The following week I chased after two rare American ducks. The first, a male Green-winged Teal, was quickly located at the south end of the dam at Grafham Water and showed well: I even managed some half-decent photos! I had hoped to get some 'side by side' photos of the bird with a male Eurasian Teal, but it didn't quite happen.

Male Green-winged Teal (note the vertical white stripe on its side), Grafham Water, 13 November

Male Green-winged Teal (right) with male Eurasian Teal, Grafham Water, 13 November. The Eurasian Teal has a horizontal white stripe (partially visible) along its side and no vertical white stripe.

A couple of days later I was on the road again, this time to Abberton Reservoir (Essex) to look for a male Canvasback. Just as the Green-winged Teal closely resembles our Eurasian Teal, so the male Canvasback closely resembles our male Common Pochard. However the Canvasback, which is a much less common vagrant to the UK (I have had one sighting in the past), was buried in amongst several hundred Pochards. When I arrived at Abberton I was told that it was in a distant flock of Pochards, roughly equidistant between the Layer de al Haye and Layer Breton causeways. I spent maybe 40 minutes scanning the flock, alongside many others, but if it was there it was too distant to identify. I gave up and decided to go to the Abberton Visitor Centre and have a wander around the reserve. The third hide that I went to, 'Gwen's Hide', was packed and, when I managed to squeeze in, I found out that the Canvasback was in amongst a flock of around 250 tightly packed Pochards that were in a line, diving to feed on what must have been some particularly juicy under water vegetation. Despite being told that the Canvasback was towards the right hand end of the flock, it was several minutes before I got a clear sight of the bird. After that I had four or five brief, clear sightings of the Canvasback as the flock moved around, often hidden from view behind bushes. I took quite a few photos, but was unable to get an identifiable image of my target bird. Eventually something spooked the ducks and the whole lot took off, together with other species, flew around, briefly landed and then took off again, flying towards the causeways. I took photos of the birds in flight and, after poring over them, found one with the probable Canvasback amongst the Pochards. Unfortunately, the tip of its bill is obscured by another bird, so I can't be certain. For the record, a male Canvasback is slightly bigger than a male Pochard and has a darker face with a straighter, all dark bill. The 'probable' in the image is roughly a third of the way in from the left and from the bottom of the image below - good luck in finding it!

Probable male Canvasback with (mainly) Common Pochards, 15 November

So far in November luck at finding rare birds had been with me, but it ran out completely on the 21st. Despite suffering from a rather unpleasant virus, I decided to travel to Winterton-on-Sea on the North Norfolk coast, with the aim of seeing a Pallid Swift that had been seen in flight and had been roosting in the church tower for the previous few days. Having established that it had left the roost in the morning and had later been seen in flight at around 9.00am, I set off with high hopes. Several other bird watchers were looking for the bird when I arrived at midday but, to cut a long story short, it was never seen again. Apart from a short coastal walk to see the pupping Grey Seals on the beach, I spent the rest of my time in the area of the church, hoping that the bird would reappear whilst steadily feeling worse as my health deteriorated further and the cold, northerly wind bit into me. That night I developed a temperature and a fever, which laid me low for 48 hours. This was definitely a 'twitch' that I won't forget in a hurry.

Waxwings have invaded the UK in good numbers this winter, and are steadily moving west. The first report of birds in Hertfordshire came from Berkhamsted, where eight were reported in the Tesco car park (a typical place for Waxwings to turn up!). However, I arrived too late in the day to see them on the 28th, and on subsequent dates sightings (almost always early in the morning) were reduced in numbers until the birds disappeared altogether. By the 29th I had, with the exception of a persistent cough, recovered from my illness and decided to visit Slimbridge WWT (near Bristol) on a rare, sunny day. My main targets were Bewick's Swans, but I was also looking forward to doing some photography of both wild and captive birds. Bewick's Swans have been arriving later and later at Slimbridge, and in smaller numbers, with just 14 individuals (including two families of four) seen on the day. Despite the low numbers the swans appeared quite aggressive to each other, something that I haven't noticed before. About 70 White-fronted Geese were seen, whilst near the Severn Estuary six Common Cranes and a large flock of Barnacle Geese were present. On the reserve itself I was surprised to see a Spotted Redshank with four Redshanks, giving me a chance to observe the differences between these two similar species. In the captive area, male Goldeneyes were already displaying.

Bewick's Swan with other Wild Birds, WWT Slimbridge, 29 November

Bewick's Swan Family in Flight, WWT Slimbridge, 29 November

Spotted Redshank (right) with Redshanks, WWT Slimbridge, 29 November

Male Goldeneye (Captive Bird) Displaying, WWT Slimbridge, 29 November

Valencia Wildlife Sightings, October 2023

 Towards the end of October my partner and I spent a few days in Valencia in south-east Spain. This was not only a holiday break, but a chance for us both to do some (particularly architectural) photography in Spain's third city, which is situated on the Mediterranean coast. The weather was very warm (mid-20s Celsius during the day) and dry, very different to the weather that I had been subjected to back home. In addition to some spectacular architecture (foremost being that of the City of Arts and Sciences), Valencia is situated very close to the Albufera National Park, which we visited for a few hours on one day.

Our hotel was near the beach and a very short distance from the harbour and docks. Every morning I went on pre-breakfast walks in various directions, always close to the sea. Familiar gulls seen were Black-headed, Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed, but I was also pleased to see a number of Audouin's Gulls, always singly. This is a comparatively rare gull, that nests nearby and over-winters here. Valencia has several parks and green spaces and I read somewhere that three species of parakeet can be found here. However, the only parakeets that I came across were Monk Parakeets, an introduced species (as all Europe's parakeets are), which is becoming common and widespread in many parts of Spain. Crag Martins were seen hawking insects around the coastal hotels, but small passerines other than House Sparrows and Robins were thin on the ground. The commonest species of bird appeared to be Collared Doves (seen practically everywhere) and the ubiquitous Feral Pigeons.

Audouin's Gull, Valencia, October

Monk Parakeet, Valencia, October

Our visit to Albufera produced several species not seen elsewhere on the trip, including Greater Flamingo, Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, Common Redshank, Common Sandpiper and some warblers, tentatively assigned as Common (not Iberian) Chiffchaffs, although my photographs - one seen below- are not conclusive.

Greater Flamingo near the Visitor Centre, Albufera National Park, October

Chiffchaff (?), Albufera NP, October

We saw several raptors in Albufera, including an Osprey that was carrying a rather peculiarly-shaped fish (I thought at first that it must have got its talons stuck in a branch), Black Kites and several Marsh Harriers. Spotless Starlings were present in their thousands, and one huge ball was attacked by a Peregrine (or was it just toying with them - it certainly didn't catch any). Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk were also seen. Water birds included Mallard, Shelduck and a flock of 100+ Red-crested Pochard.

Spotless Starling 'Ball', Albufera NP, October

Osprey with (I presume) a Fish, Albufera NP, October

Invertebrates seen included several unidentified Dragonflies and a few common butterflies. The best sighting was of a Plain Tiger butterfly, a new species for me, which looks similar to the Monarch butterfly. Its stronghold appears to be in North Africa, but presumably it is spreading northwards due to climate change.

Plain Tiger Butterfly, Albufera NP, October

Local Wildlife Sightings October 2023

 After some rain early in the month, which prompted the appearance of some autumnal fungi, we had several days of very warm weather, with afternoon temperatures of 20-25C. This latest 'Indian Summer' broke on the 11th, with a deluge of rain followed by much cooler weather. Bird-wise, the first half of the month was very quiet. Apart from a handful of Chiffchaffs, the only summer visitor that I recorded was a late Swallow, seen heading south over Hatchpen Farm on the 2nd. A flock of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, seen at both ends of The Heath early in the month, contained a single adult Herring Gull. With the exception of Meadow Pipits (short distance migrants), no passage migrants were seen locally in the first twelve days, although there were reports from other parts of the county of Redwings flying over and a Ring Ouzel was recorded in Stevenage.

Fungus Growing on a dead Tree, Therfield Heath, 4 October

Despite the very warm weather butterfly activity had, with the notable exceptions of Red Admiral (which has had an excellent summer) and 'cabbage' whites, ceased. Grasshoppers, which are usually active until well into October, were hard to find, as were bush crickets. A few bumble bees (particularly Common Carder) and Ivy Bees were still active as they chased what little remaining pollen was to be found. On The Heath, a large area of the Old Rifle Range was covered with old and new Ivy Bee tunnels (see image below). Devil's Coach-horse Beetles (the largest member of the Rove Beetle family) were seen in several locations, usually on the ground. When threatened, this distinctive beetle raises its abdomen, much like a Scorpion, in a threat pose, as shown in the image below.

Just a few of the Ivy Bee Tunnels, Therfield Heath, 6 October

Devil's Coach-horse Beetle, Therfield Heath, 4 October

Harlequin Ladybirds were emerging and appearing on Sycamore and other leaves on trees close to the house. In common with other insects, they pass through several larval stages before their emergence as an 'adult', and I captured one such emergence on camera as a sub-adult (still not in its final body) emerged from a larva. It could not free one of its wings, so I gave it a little help. The adult Harlequin Ladybirds exist in four different colour forms, two of which are shown below.

Harlequin Ladybird (commonest form), Royston, 6 October

Harlequin Ladybird, Second (of four) Form, Royston, 7 October

More heavy rain fell in the middle of the month. After a particularly soggy period on the 12th I went on a walk round the villages, getting extremely wet feet in the process. The only insect sighting of note was of a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, seen close to the house. Over 40 bird species were recorded, including four species of gull. Several Chiffchaffs were seen, as well as being heard, but this was the only summer visitor recorded. Surely it won't be too long before this tiny warbler becomes a resident in the UK? A Golden Plover was heard but not seen. Five Stonechats were seen at Thrift Farm on the 14th and a single bird was seen much closer to the house on the 16th. I saw my first Redwing of the autumn along the Icknield Way on the 18th and, a couple of days later, at least one adult Yellow-legged Gull was spotted amongst a huge flock (400+) of mainly Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Hatchpen Farm.

Stonechat, Royston, 16 October

According to rainfall statistics collated from the garden rain gauges over 33 years, October is easily the wettest month of the year and so it proved in 2023, with a further two inches falling between the 19th and the 22nd (I hope that November or December don't prove me to be wrong!). I managed to escape the rain for several days to much warmer, sunnier climes (Valencia - see separate post), but was back in time to go for another 8-9 mile walk around the villages on the 31st. Little had changed from the walk on the 12th, except that all the Chiffchaffs had gone. Again I heard one or more Golden Plovers as I walked along the Icknield Way, but could not see whether they were (an) individual(s) or part of a flock. Coot appear to have taken over Phillup's Lake now and are driving other birds off. However, I did notice three Tufted Ducks there, which were ignoring the Coot. I photographed the ducks and, when I examined the images more closely, I noticed that one female duck appeared to have no tuft but had some white feathering at the base of the bill. Both these features can occur in Tufted Ducks, but the overall lighter appearance of this bird made me wonder whether it could be a Tufted Duck x Scaup hybrid. Judge for yourselves from the images below. I will consult the experts. Incidentally, one of the other ducks in the first image appears to have a piece of vegetation stuck to its face....

Three Tufted Ducks (?), Phillup's Lake, Reed End, 31 October

Possible Female Scaup x Tufted Duck Hybrid (LHS Bird, above), Reed End, 31 October