Anything for the weekend Sir? Let it snow, Let it snow... Lesser Scaup!!...

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Just once in a while the weather forecasters get it right, and as I got up in the morning, a good covering of snow had occurred overnight. So I decided to get out early before work in the afternoon to take some photos of snow in Leicestershire.
I took a few photos between Bardon and Beacon Hill as I know this is the highest point in Leicestershire and was bound to have snow on the ground.
After taking a few snaps,I moved onto Blackbrook to see if the two Little Egrets were still around, as I thought it might make a nice photo of two white birds on a white background!
However there was no sign of the Little Egrets feeding in Blackbrook brook,
but only a token drake Mandarin duck trying to hide in the snowy background.
Moving onto Dean's Lane,Beacon Hill I took a few more snow photos. I noticed by now that most of the snow was melting, so I decided to move onto Swithland Reservoir to do a bit of birding.
As I drove down Kinchley Lane,I saw Ben Croxtall was scanning the water with his scope, so I stop my car and got out to have a chat with Ben. The first thing Ben said was "I think I've got a Lesser Scaup out in the middle of the Reservoir!"
Looking quickly through Ben's scope the bird looked like a Lesser Scaup to me.
At this point a controlled panic occurred, as I got my scope out of the car and started to view the bird,I then phoned John Hague to tell him about the sighting, and left a message on his mobile.
As by magic, John drive down the lane towards us, less than a minute after I had left the message, to which Ben commented about the film Back to the Future, and John must have a Flux Capacitor in his car!!
In reality, John had in fact just turned into Kinchley Lane, as I sent him the message about the bird.
We then all viewed the bird, and came up to the same conclusion, that it was a Lesser Scaup.
By this time, other birders had started to arrive including Steve Lister, who aged the bird as a first-summer Drake, due to the bird showing a few juvenile features in its plumage.
Watching the bird for the next hour or so, I took some notes as I knew that I would probably have to submit a record to the BBRC, as the second observer.
As I had to be at work in the afternoon at the General Hospital, I congratulated Ben on his find and then drove home to get ready for work.

Comments

Ms Mole said…
A common mistake to make young Gray....your picture of the drake mandarin is in fact a pica pica molus aquaticus. More commonly known as the water magpie mole. They are a rarely seen variety, being very timid and reserved, as you know not a typical characteristic of the molus species. Although a shy mole variety, the water magpie mole does like to play around in the snow leaving muffin shaped tracks in their wake. When a number of these shy moles gather they can become very playful and throw pawfuls of snow at each other. Records also indicate that these highly intelligent moles build 'snow moles'. If you require further information on these charming little moles contact Ms Mole who will be only too happy to help you identify and understand the mole species.
24 March 2008 at 22:48
The Drunkbirder said…
What on earth are you taking Ms Mole?
27 March 2008 at 12:55
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