Scaup scoop

Like to scoop a Scaup wth my scope each year as a useful SFYT. This female bird was a newbie found with Tufteds on Rookery North on March 6th.  Needed to overexpose a bit to get much detail as it insisted on swimming to a position between me and the sun however I approached through the trees

Wildfowl ticking

Scaup is always a very useful SFYT and not a species guaranteed for anybody in any year whereas Egyptian Goose is almost becoming so, but still we all need to get one somewhere. Both were good for me this weekend with the male Scaup at Chimney Corner becoming three of a kind after getting a male Scaup there in the previous two years (23/2/13 and 29/3/14). Elstow brought me some Egyptians, on the winter crop field next to the pit with a couple of grazing Moorhens.

Scaup bonus

Oi, come back I'm bigger than you.

Drake Scaup following Tufties at Chimney Corner South on 29th March. Nice to get this one after potentially overlooking the first winter female found there earlier this year (she must have been asleep if present!). Interestingly I also had male Scaup at this site last year on 23rd Feb and 2nd March. Any bets on a "Lesser" soon ?

Ducks

It's April. Go birding. Come home. Then go birding again.

Slipping in another Scaup

Here’s a shot of 4m2f Scaup I took at Broggie the other evening – the extra drake was up the north-eastern end of the lake whereas these were at the western end out from the gull watchpoint. The previous week, John Lynch and I had seen 3m1f + 1m early afternoon on 13^th March so a pair of these Scaup count as SFYT’s for me.

MJP

'Scoping Scaup and Picking 'Peckers

Two more nice SFYT this weekend, neither of which I got last year.  

On Saturday I got out at first light and having seen the two well-watched male Scaup at Brogborough and found nothing of any interest in a look at the Pillinge, Stewartby or Quest, I had more luck again at Chimney Corner South when my third male Scaup of the morning was found swimming around not far off the shore from the watchpoint with the Tufties. Back home for elevenses and some brownie points remained in the bag.

A nice bright one of  my own (above), much much better than the two sleepy ones that I twitched... (down below)

So Sunday gave the chance to go looking for some redpoll sp to scrutinise and I thought I would give Flitwick Moor area a try, lots of Siskins about but only a handful of redpoll found, all pretty standard ones too. Highlight though was a female Lesser ‘Pecker in the treetops of the wood itself which called a couple of times and was then found and lost and refound again on three occasions as it fed and flew in the uppermost branches around the central drain. And home for more elevenses…

Two-thirds of the Ivel Valley Dream Team Score Scaup

RIB: ''Darren! Have you got the other bird on here?!''
DOM (about 20 yards away, watching a female aythya swimming away from him): ''Hang on a sec', I think I've got a Scaup.''
RIB (with 'scope at the ready): ''OK, you can have this one then!''
DOM (now looking through RIB's 'scope, although it was actually SCB's 'scope, but that's another story): ''Excellent stuff!''
RIB: ''Ha! Steve will be pleased...I'll text him.''

It went something like that anyway...

R had found a huuuuge flock of five last weekend, so didn't 'need' Scaup, but he seemed pretty chuffed nevertheless, at what is a pretty scarce bird at Blunham.

High fives all round, and with a couple of Goldeneye found a few minutes earlier, takes my tally to 132.

Thanks again R,

DOM

Lesser Lake Scaups

There were chaps with guns at Cuckoo Bridge Lake last Sunday, so I returned to do my WeBS count this morning and scored with another SYFT - Scaup - five of them.  Not perhaps the most likely of additions for me but I've found a few over the years in my favoured waterbodies.  This was a patch tick for me too.

Tree Sparrow and Scaups

A couple of Martin's (darn it, they don't count for the SFYL) shots of a private garden Tree Sparrow and the Scaups (found in 2011 at Brogborough).