9th January - Harbridge & Blashford Lakes, Hampshire

I was aware of the presence of a Lesser Scaup in the county for a few days, but the word was to keep it quiet.  I didn't have the chance to go until now, and with the passing of time the word was out, so the shackles were off.

It was another glorious sunny day, but still bitterly cold.  I struggled at first to find a parking spot, but eventually was able to park and from the car followed a path around to a small private fishing lake.  Fortunately there was no problem with me being there and I was directed to where the duck was on the lake.  The sun once again was a problem, low in the sky and very bright, but here I could walk east around the lake to get the sun behind me.  The Lesser Scaup was initially in the company of Canada Geese, but showed well.

This is a true rarity, but now one which occurs annually. The last record in Hampshire being in 2018.  Long clouded by confusion with hybrids, the first was identified as recently as 1987, in Staffordshire, but since this breaking of the credibility barrier, Lesser Scaup has been shown to be a vagrant in small numbers every year, with more than 150 records in the UK.

It frequents freshwater habitats and can occur anywhere which attracts Aythya ducks, with the result that most counties in Britain have now hosted at least one.

In some ways this species is intermediate between Tufted Duck and Greater Scaup, having the size of the former with the plumage of the latter. Adult males show a grey back like Greater Scaup, though it will be more clearly and more coarsely vermiculated dark grey, especially at the rear, and should appear slightly more restricted in extent.

Key is the strongly sloping forehead and peaked rear crown.  Like Greater Scaup, incipient grey in the upperparts makes the head contrast darker, and there is little contrast between mantle and flanks. There is a large and distinctly defined, though variable, white patch around the bill base and the dark at the bill tip is restricted to the nail only.

A small flock of Tufted Duck flew and almost immediately the Lesser Scaup started to swim towards them.

Pausing for a preen and a stretch.

But joined up with the Tufted Ducks, the difference can clearly be seen.

One last photograph showing the dark nail at the end of the bill.

Walking bac I had a pair of Bullfinches fly past me.  I decided to drop into Blashford Lakes on the way back.  As I entered the Tern Hide there was some air of excitement and I learnt that a White-tailed Eagle had just flown over the lake and had settled in one of the distant trees.  I had missed it by a couple of minutes, the bad luck continues.

It wasn't easy to find in the tree but you can just make it out in the circle, the most obvious feature is the yellow bill pointed out by the arrow.

I waited and waited but nothing happened then someone came into the hide and said the Black-necked Grebes were showing well in front of the Goosander hide, so I decided to walk around.  When I got there I checked the tree the eagle was seen in and it was empty.  I later learnt that it had flown just after I left showing really well once more!

A consolation was a Goshawk that flew over as I approached the hide.

So to the Black-necked Grebes, they weren't close close but were in an acceptable position.  With them was the Maccoa Duck that had caused a twitch at the end of last year when reported as a Ruddy Duck.

The Black-necked Grebes were close by together.

Unlike the Black-necked Grebes a Great Crested Grebe was close to the hide and had caught what looked like a Roach or Rudd.  A fair sized meal for the Grebe.

The Black-necked Grebes remained at a distance.

I left the Goosander Hide on a group arriving and taking over.  I walked to the Woodland Hide, along the way a Nuthatch was in the trees above the path.

With it being cold I expected a bit of activity around the feeders in front of the Woodland Hide and I wasn't disappointed.  A Long-tailed Tit.

A male Siskin

Greenfinch

Walking to the Ivy Lake South Hide I stopped at the Silt Pond where the Kingfisher showed well once again.

It does a circuit around the pond, here on one of the bushes in the centre.

A drake Tufted Duck was below the hide and showed very nicely.

Just to the left a pair of Wigeon were enjoying the winter sunshine.

Before I left I popped into the Tern Hide and picked up a drake Goosander that flew across in front of the hide, there were also two pair of Goldeneye at the back of the lake