Ducking and diving

After the long day out yesterday I got up late with no plans to do any birding. I did a few tasks around the house and garden and was just settling down to a cuppa when I saw the phone blink. A ferruginous duck in Essex. We had noted it yesterday but I had forgotten about it. These are becoming controversial birds now. Historically they have been rare migrants to the country.  Now there is a release scheme in Germany and many are also being released or escaping over here. So, the first thing anyone does when one appears is to check its legs for rings. This one, from photos, was seen to be fully unringed. This meant it was not from Germany and had a better provenance. This swung it for me so I altered my plans. I threw my gear into the car and drove round the M25 to Lee Valley Park, only 30 miles away.
These old excavation are now a large wetland area, good for bitterns and winter wildfowl. I've not been before though, so I wasn't sure of where to go. Fortunately as I arrived some other birders were setting off from the car park. Not only that, they were the same ones we had met yesterday at Frampton - the two Jims and Brian Anderson.
It took us about 10 minutes to walk to where the duck had been seen. When we got there it wasn't showing though. With a bit of searching it was tracked down to a scrubby island where it was lurking in the overhanging branches. You could just about make it out, a rusty brown body and a white bum. We chose place that looked good and camped out hoping it would show. It kept diving in the mangroves but refused to come out. Finally though it dived and came out into the open water.

It is a very handsome beast. The russet colours showed really well as does its white iris. That especially gives is a very comical look. I stayed with it for a couple of hours but it never came out again. Indeed for a long time it totally disappeared to, I presume, have a bit of a kip.
Its did give me the chance to have aloe at some of the other residents - grebes, coots, herons and goosanders.

Not a long trip but a satisfying one. Good to meet up with the Andersons again. You meet so many people on facebook/ twitter that its nice to realise they are real people!!!! Still looking for that first year tick though!!!!