GRC Blog


Welcome to the GRC Recorders pages. This blog provides details on all the relevant news of Glamorgan’s scarcer birds, plus all BBRC & WRP decisions that affect us locally. It will also be used to document the status and occurrence of these scarcer species and we welcome contributions from anyone with photographs, artwork or documentation of rarities past, present and future. The GRC also welcomes all seawatching news from around Glamorgan and news of passage migrants in spring & autumn, uncommon birds in our area and unusual behaviour.


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The Glamorgan Rarities Committee, in conjunction with the Glamorgan Bird Club & Gower Wildlife , have agreed to co-operate with the Welsh Ornithological Society in the sharing of bird records & photographs in the interest of keeping accurate records and to promote birdwatching in North, Mid & South Wales.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Lesser Scaup on Eglwys Nunydd

 A female Lesser Scaup was showing well today on Eglwys Nunydd Reservior. It was associating quite closely with 2 male Greater Scaup when it was feeding. However, at other times it seemed happier with Tufted Duck or Pochard.

Interestingly Eddie Hunter and Dominic Davidson found a female here near enough a year ago on 13th February or maybe a couple of days before that. Amazingly Dave Lewis, who I was speaking to yesterday, had metioned that the Lesser Scaup turned up at this time last year and that people should be "on the look out for it!"

 Try as I might it wouldn't show the upperwing pattern to me but, apart from that it looks pretty good to me.


6 comments:

Barry Stewart said...

Looks spot on me from your very nice set of record photos. It would be interesting to compare photos from last year to see how similar these birds look. Although it will be impossible to judge if these are indded the same bird, the coincidental date does make you wonder. Really good find Mark - well done :o)

Neil Donaghy said...

Thanks Mark - we enjoyed pretty good views of the bird this afternoon after quite a search as it had moved right out to the railway end [southern??] of the reservoir - it was a lifer for my clients, so they were very grateful. Also noted the three drake Greater Scaup and six Goosander of note - two drakes.

Mark Hipkin said...

Thanks both. It was a british tick for me last year and I know exactly what it's like to chase a duck round that res! I'm glad your clients got good view Neil. Not much to look at but, all the same.

Jeff said...

Nice find Mark and great pics.
Could it be the Slimbridge bird that hasn't been seen since 12th Feb? although that bird was a 1st winter.
Worth comparing with the photos I took of the Slimbridge bird in early Jan and posted in both SWB and Birders in Boxers ?

Neil Donaghy said...

Saw the drake at Cosmeston today - who would have thought we would have two Lesser Scaups in Glamorgan 40 miles apart. Will they ever meet?

Barry Stewart said...

From the photos the eye colour looks dull, which would suggest this is probably a bird hatched in 2010. This would mean it can't be last years bird returning. A quick look at Jeff's photos shows the Slimbridge bird being less well-marked than this bird.