Ducks can be controversial. With so many in collections around the country any rare or mega bird which turns up has its credentials checked very carefully. For those that are into listing the reports then go to one or more different committees who eventually pronounce on whether you "can" tick the bird or not. This takes into account the simple things like identification (hybrids can be a nightmare!) and whether or not it is likely to be wild or a fence jumper. It becomes controversial and of course can be hotly debated. So, when an American cousin of our common pochard, a canvasback, popped up at Abberton reservoir in Essex, all those questions were immediately asked. The ID seemed straight-forward and no one saw any hint of hybridisation. More controversial was the suggestion of it being a captive release. I won't go into the full details, which have taken up many column inches of posts on my birding WhatsApp groups, but a collection not too far way was suggested to have released up to 6 canvasbacks 3 or 4 years ago. Some or all seem to be still at the release site and none appear to have wandered up to now. The general consensus seemed to be that it was probably wild and that certainly you should go and tick it and let the authorities decide later - what is termed an insurance tick!!!!
So, I headed off reasonably early this morning to the wilds of Essex. Abberton is a largish reservoir but the bird had helpfully been seen from one of the two causeways crossing it at the western end. I got to the eastern-most one (Layer de la Haye) just as two other birders were leaving. No sign of it and certainly no sign of the large flock of pochard with which it is associating. We could see a large number of waterfowl east of there by the other causeway so we quickly relocated to the Layer Breton end. Here about 5 or 6 birders were already scoping the very large flock but reported no sign of the canvasback.
The light was a bit harsh but at least we weren't looking straight into the sun. The main issue was that we were some distance away scanning through hundreds of birds looking for one that was "a bit" different!!!
They were constantly moving, diving, sleeping and to be honest it was a nightmare. We were looking for one bird which is superficially identical to a common pochard but which is a bit larger, a bit paler with an all-black aqualine beak and a longer neck. The crowd grew to about a dozen but the general chat was "this is difficult". No one called out even a possible bird as more flew in but thankfully none seemed to be leaving.
After I suppose an hour one of the birders to my left came up with the "I think I've got it" phrase. We quickly located where she was looking and thankfully it was reasonably well isolated from the main flock.
It was on the right of the lagoon with three or four other pochard and few tufties and coots. I had said earlier to another birder (who had left by now as his wife was waiting back at their hotel!) that when we see it I bet it stands out. Fortunately this was the case and we all agreed she had found the canvasback.
It was still a long way off but at least through the scope you could make out the key features. It was a bit larger, the beak was all-black and, as in the lower photo, aqualine, almost swan-like in shape. It also had a very long neck when it lifted it up. I got the news out and watched as it ploughed across the lake and totally melted into the larger flock. Once it dived and you lost it then there was no chance of finding it again.
For some while as new birders arrived we lost it. After going goggle-eyed scanning the flock I tried going back to looking where we first found it. There was a small group of a few pochards there.
To my eye one looked a bit different from the rest. I followed it for a minute or so and was convinced it was worth getting the rest of the eyes onto it. I described its location and quickly most people got onto it and agreed I had refound it again.
Again, the comparison to the common pochard with it is very instructional as most of the key features and there. The only one I would say is not very useful is the supposed lighter mantle which with the low sun is very hard to make out. It then repeated what it did before and headed back into the main flock where it disappeared, not helped by lots of them now going head down and having a kip! I decided that as enough and headed back home. A very good day and a cracking Instructional bird. How it was found in the first place god only knows but kudos to the finder!
That is my 8th lifer of the year taking me to 414 BOU (presuming it makes the grade). Still another 6 weeks to go!!!
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