Bowling Green Marsh (1 Viewer)

I looked in to Bowling Green Marsh on the way home from our first holiday break, and what a surprise, there were so many Pochard, Shovellers, Shellduck, Coots, Pintails, Lapwing, and some other birds I didn't have on my books, one I thought was a little grebe, and the best report of all was the first ever reported Lesser Scaup!! I wouldn't know if I had seen it or not, as I haven't got any books with it in.
I was yet again dissappointed, as I missed the Glossy Ibis!! I swear it knows I'm coming, as it is never there when I get there. I was very pleased to hear the cirl bunting, and to see it above the car, singing it's little heart out! What a lovely sound.
I felt this was a very different sight compared to the last time, as all the birds were very different, no Black tailed Godwits, avocets, and many other birds all were different, spelling the seasons.:bounce:

Where was the Cirl Bunting ? Ok so I'm not going down to next October!!

Bluetail and Andrew beware I'll be harassing you for good birding spots nearer the time!!

Hi, Nina. I'd say you are right about the little grebe. They are regular there and as far as I can remember they're the only grebe species I've ever seen at BGM.

Interesting to hear that the Lesser Scaup has visited BGM - it usually hangs out on the other side of the estuary on Exminster Marshes.

Pete - yes, do get in touch; I'll be pleased to help if I can.

Jason

I have seen the Great Crested Grebe on Bude canal water which is also part of Tamar Lake group, but the first time I've ever seen a Little Grebe, so that is one query that is likely to have been a good guess at job! Thanks for that Bluetail. Now what does the Lesser Scaup look like? I wonder if that was the other one I couldn't ID as I haven't got a picture anywhere, all I can say is there was a notice up to say it has been seen in the BGM viewing station area!

Nice one Nina I am going down to Exeter on the 5th to spend the weekend with my daughter and hope to drop in on BGM to see the Glossy Ibis.

Hi Nina

Female/1st-w Lesser Scaups look horribly like female Scaups and Tufted Ducks! The attached pic is of a female Lesser Scaup; the Exminster bird is a first-winter drake, but essentially looks similar (there are a couple of record shots of it somewhere on Surfbirds.com). I find the best field marks are the head shape (slight angle or peak at the rear of the head compared to Scaup's entirely rounded head) and the black on the bill being restricted entirely to the nail (on Scaup there is a very slight bleeding of the black from the nail onto the sides of the bill tip). The white facial mask is smaller, too.

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/13261/password//sort/1/cat/all/page/1

Obviously you need to be careful to eliminate white-faced female Tufties too. I remember once going to Helford Loe Pool in Cornwall to year-tick a reported female Scaup. When it swam out of the reeds my friend and I looked at its head shape, then at each other and put it down as a female Tuftie. Looking back on it, it may very well have been a Lesser Scaup - but it wasn't on the British List at the time so didn't occur to us!

Jason