There was an odd looking duck on West Saltholme today (Sunday 12th May). I presume it's a hybrid, perhaps of an Aythya species and something else. The attached rough sketch (done under difficult conditions while it was raining) gives an idea of what it looks like, though if it stays someone should get a better photograph.
If the scribbled writing is difficult to read, here are the captions :
Beak - blue?
Cap - dark with a hint of brown
Cheeks - dirty white
Back - Darkish grey slightly brownish
Breast - pale grey
Flanks - white, sometimes higher up depending on how feathers lie
Any ideas?
it looks like the one that has been around for a while getting reported occasionally as Red-created Pochard or Common Scoter. I think it is generally considered to have something to do with a Silver/Puna Teal and maybe a Red-crested Pochard. I noticed it over the weekend on Back Saltholme
Thanks, Jamie. A Silver Teal/Red-crested Pochard ancestry would certainly explain the white cheeks and the blue beak, as well as the general plumage pattern.
Eric