Common Scoter - North Ferriby

A walk with the dog after work proved well timed when a lone duck on the river off the Riverside Walkway proved to be a smart male Common Scoter. A number of birds have been seen at inland sites over the last month or so - maybe this was a bird returning to the north sea before heading off to Baltic breeding grounds.

The alarm bells always go off when a lone duck is on the river. Other ducks with the exception of Goldeneye tend to stay at the edges - so it immediately warranted a closer look. At about halfway out -it was pretty distant, but the distince neck shape, held straight from the body combined with the distinctive beak shape quickly identified the unusual visitor.

The Scoter followed a record of 4 Goosander earlier in the week, 3 males and a redhead. Just my second record on patch and my first for the walkway. Swallows have now arrived in numbers and Blackcaps are on the rise too. However, a few expected birds have yet to make an appearance such as Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear. Hopefully May will produce the goods.