Is it or isn't it?

With a lot of the commoner migrants now in the bag I've got time to concentrate on some of the rarer birds. First off the block was a bird I didn't think would stick around. Whilst I was sunning myself in California a Baikal teal was taking residence on the Nene Washes near March. These can be a very controversial bird, as with any ducks, as they are popular in collections. It was keeping well away from people and had no obvious rings or wing-damage so the great and the good paid homage and ticked it. I saw one four years ago in the same area and this got through the committees to be allowed as a wild bird so this one should hopefully get the same treatment.
Anyway, it was still there so I had to go on the trip up to the north of Peterborough. The bird had been reported as present and showing well only two hours earlier. The car park put me onto the river bank about 300 yards from where two birders were already scoping a pool. I yomped down to them but it wasn't on show. Apparently it had been on view but a marsh harrier spooked everything and it hadn't been seen since.
For about half an hour we grilled every duck on the pool but despite our hard work the assorted teal, mallard, shelduck, gadwall and shoveler did not turn into their rarer cousin. Another birder eventually joined us. He was in a rush as he was a local on his lunch hour  and so was very disappointed with our news. He set up his scope and almost immediately came out with "there it is"!!! Somehow we had missed it directly in from of us. In our defence it was a long way off!

This is the view we had taken with my 500mm and uncropped. Look at the size of the swans!!!

Same image cropped on. Can you see the teal? Quick clue, it seemed to have a very close friendship with a male wigeon. Once we twigged this then it became a bit easier to find the teal though it was often hidden away. It is the far left duck in the photo below. You can see one thing, it is very small compared to the wigeon and the gadwall next to it.

 It is hard to see in these photos but it is a very smart bird with a striking facial pattern. You can see why it is so popular with wildfowl collectors!!!

 It has a bold yellow stripe behind its eye and a gold spot over it.

 We watched it and its friend the wigeon for about 30 minutes before it finally walked off into the grass and went to sleep.

A lovely duck and a nice twitch but I will have to wait to see if it becomes called a kosher or a plastic bird. For now though I'm 'avin it!! As a bonus two cranes also flew past us whilst we were watching the teal adding to the year list.