Rather unusually BirdGuides had been reporting on a (female) ruddy duck in Hampshire and with the weather locally to be raining until lunchtime, south and west seemed like a good plan. This would be a lifer for me.
The ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) is a small, stout diving duck native to North America. It was introduced to the UK in the 1940s when some escaped or were released from collections, and the species quickly established a breeding population. By the 1980s, the ruddy duck population in the UK had grown significantly, with several thousand birds present. However, the ruddy duck became a conservation concern in Europe, especially due to its hybridisation with the native white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala) in Spain. The white-headed duck is endangered, and the presence of ruddy ducks posed a serious threat to its survival, as hybridisation could lead to the genetic extinction.
In response to this conservation threat, the UK initiated a ruddy duck eradication program in 2005. The goal was to eliminate the ruddy duck population in Britain to protect the white-headed duck population in Europe. This programme involved culling efforts, particularly by shooting, and has been largely successful. By 2014, the ruddy duck population in the UK was reduced to a very small number, and sightings have become increasingly rare. Today, ruddy ducks are still occasionally seen in the UK, but their numbers remain very low due to ongoing management efforts.
We set off in the dark, encountering rain and a lot of standing water on the roads as we ventured south, to and along the A34. We stopped for breakfast as daylight appeared and the roads gradually cleared as we continued on.
Arriving at the recorded location, we joined a dozen or more people already watching our bird. As is often annoyingly the case, our bird was asleep and at distance - not very far but as it is relatively small it would make capturing decent photos less simple - record shots were now likely. We scanned around and noted large numbers of Egyptian geese and then three black-necked grebes; two off to our right and then another out in front and in the far distance.
There were lots of ducks and coot on the water - quite a density on offer. There were meant to be red-crested pochards here but try as we might we could locate any - I've managed to avoid seeing any all year and so stands out as an obvious omission to my year list.
We waited until the ruddy duck woke and for a few minutes it cruised left and right around the same spot but soon swam further back ... before going back to sleep. Eventually we saw it swim back right and a little closer, before it started diving. They are excellent divers, using this ability to forage for food. They typically dive underwater for 10 - 30 seconds, though may last longer in some cases. During dives, they propel themselves using their feet, searching for aquatic insects, crustaceans, and plant matter at the bottom of lakes or ponds.
A couple of days later and in response to seeing photos, it was then reported the bird had been reidentified and was likely an escaped female Maccoa Duck discovered on the 25th of February near Walthamstow and clearly found West Warwick so similar to its native southern Africa home that it had remained into March.
The Maccoa duck (Oxyura maccoa) is a species native to sub-Saharan Africa, primarily found in eastern and southern Africa. It is not native to the UK, and sightings of Maccoa ducks in the UK are extremely rare. Any appearances of this species in the UK would likely involve escaped individuals from wildfowl collections or zoos rather than natural migration. It is a stiff-tailed diving duck, very similar to the ruddy duck, and shares many of its traits, including a preference for freshwater lakes and marshes. However, it is not considered an invasive species in Europe like the ruddy duck because it does not naturally occur in the region and does not pose the same conservation threat, such as hybridisation with native species.
Updates on Twitter attracted some attention and Lee Evans posted "The escaped Maccoa Duck, initially seen in Sussex, recently relocated to Hampshire, where it continued to confuse observers". Also, on my post I asked if it might be possible to understand what specific feature stood out and was helpfully told "Of course - the bill is usually the giveaway. In ruddy ducks, the bill is 'scoop-shaped' with a relatively narrow base; in Maccoa ducks, the bill is thicker with a deeper, 'swollen' base. The same goes for white-headed ducks although they have even thicker, very 'swollen' bills". This is all great learning but quite confusing - talking with people whose opinions I respect greatly, this is all a bit odd - the bill looks sort of OK for Maccoa duck but with swelling halfway along the culmen - the plumage appears to be closer to ruddy. We live and learn I suppose.
We then spent the remainder of our day at Blashford Lakes around the woodland trails, north of the Education Centre and running parallel to Ellingham Drove. We walked along hearing and then seeing nuthatches and goldcrests. We stopped as a firecrest called in the bushes by the water; it wasn't long before we located it, and then another ten minutes or so before I managed to see it in the open for a photo. The photos were a record (and a bit rubbish to be honest) but as we turned to go the bird moved further down the path and into some light. Bingo. Then it was gone.
Firecrests are small, colourful songbirds that were relatively rare but increasing in the UK. Traditionally, it was a scarce breeder, primarily limited to southern England, particularly in areas with dense coniferous or mixed woodlands such as the New Forest. However, its population has been growing in recent decades. Firecrests are also expanding their range northwards and are increasingly observed in the UK during the winter, especially in milder areas such as the south and southeast. The dense coniferous and mixed woodlands of the New Forest provide ideal habitat for them during the colder months, where they forage for insects among the trees.
We pushed on and entered a clearing where we immediately we saw another pair of firecrests, then another, then a pair of goldcrests. They shot around and above a nuthatch called. To our right a treecreeper appeared and dropped down onto the base of a tree and started working up, as they do. Another then appeared and although more distant it was in brighter light.
We really must do more woodlands - we always say that when we see such plentiful sprites. We saw more goldcrests and firecrests as we retraced our steps, making for the Education Centre. We stopped in the car park and listened, hearing great-spotted woodpeckers, chaffinch, various tits, nuthatches and saw a red admiral butterfly working from the tree canopy down to some lavender flowers. A siskin flew over and called, although we didn't manage to lay eyes on it.
Right in front of us a nuthatch dropped in with a sunflower seed, presumably obtained from the feeders near the Education Centre.
We wandered along the path, enjoying sightings of coal tits and numerous nuthatches. Near Ivy South Hide, we stopped by a pool, drawn by the distinctive call of a Cetti’s warbler. Kev spotted one moving through the base of some reeds, while I noticed another across the water. A chiffchaff flitted among the bushes over the pool.
Continuing further, we heard the call of a kingfisher but couldn’t spot it. We entered the hide, where birdwatchers mentioned a kingfisher had perched on a stick earlier, though it had been a while. Undeterred, Kev stepped outside and wandered back along the track. Soon, he sent a WhatsApp message - he’d found a kingfisher perched on a fallen tree in the water. I joined him and watched as the bird stayed put. Kev then returned to the hide to let the others know it might not be perfect for a photo, but it offered a great view through a scope.
Kev and I snapped a few photos and videos before the bird flew off to the left and disappeared from sight. As some birders began to leave, I kept scanning the trees across the water and managed to spot the kingfisher perched on a lower branch. A lady birder who stayed behind was able to view it through Kev’s scope. It flew off again, but I managed to find it a bit farther along the tree line, a few tens feet from its last position.
Eventually, we continued along the boardwalk. Near the end, we spotted a large group of tits and a nuthatch, drawn by seeds scattered on the posts. A nuthatch briefly dropped onto the leaf-covered ground before darting off again. I waited for it to reappear, when Kev said something I never expected to hear: "The nuthatch has landed on the owl." It made sense, though still amusing - there was a wooden owl at the end of the boardwalk, and the nuthatch had perched right on it.
We reached Ellingham Lake and made our way back to the Education Centre without adding any other sightings of note. We did see quite a bit of fungus and were particularly taken with what I think is Mycena inclinata. Mycena inclinata, commonly called the clustered bonnet or oak-stump bonnet cap, is a species of mushroom. Its cap is reddish-brown and bell-shaped, growing up to 4.5cm in diameter; the margin of the cap has minute but distinct scallops. The thin stem, which can reach 9cm in height, is whitish to yellow-brown near the top, gradually becoming reddish-brown toward the base. At maturity, the base is often covered with a yellowish mycelium that can extend up to a third of the stem's length.
We made our way back to the car and stopped at a gate by the Tern hide and were somewhat surprised to only see blackbirds. However, we also saw the occasional wagtail and pipit over. We stayed chatting a bit longer than we'd set out for, but Kev spotted a raptor in the distance and pointed to what was likely a sparrowhawk. We watched as it rose back into view and realised it was in fact a goshawk. Goshawks are resident in the New Forest, and October is a great time to observe them as they often become more visible during autumn having been elusive during the breeding season. We watched as it flew along the far treeline and eventually out of view. A terrific end to our day's birding.
The next day, I found I had a couple of hours free to visit Boddington Reservoir near Byfield, Northamptonshire, where a long-staying red-crested pochard had been reported by John Friendship-Taylor @987jonty the day before. After confirming its location, I parked on the western side. Just a few hundred meters in, past several fishermen, I spotted the bird. I took some photos and was glad to add it to my year list. At one point, the pochard came out of the water to feed on seed bait near a fishing peg, rounding off a lovely weekend.
Year list: 241.
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