Lesser Scaup ID Needed Scotland (1 Viewer)

[Baldoon57]

I was told there was a Lesser Scaup on a Loch near Castle Douglas, Scotland.
Down I went to see if I could find it, I was told it was in the tufted duck flock, as everything was distant I took a lot of Pictures hoping to get lucky, I've posted five pictures, any help appreciated.

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Yes it's in all of them.

[Edit - assuming it's the bird in the middle of Shot 3 and that isn't a Greater Scaup. You obviously picked it out well enough as in shot two it's the only diving duck.]

 

[THE_FERN]

Look for the bird with a pale grey back (in tufted it's black). So, for example, 2nd from right in first photo

 

[Prestdj]

looks quite large for lesser

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Has a Tufted x Greater Scaup hybrid look to it. Green sheen to head, quite obvious black on the nail given the low resolution of the pics, and quite a pronounced lump on the hind crown on a couple of the pics.

 

[THE_FERN]

Has a Tufted x Greater Scaup hybrid look to it. Green sheen to head, quite obvious black on the nail given the low resolution of the pics, and quite a pronounced lump on the hind crown on a couple of the pics.

yes I agree

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Has a Tufted x Greater Scaup hybrid look to it. Green sheen to head, quite obvious black on the nail given the low resolution of the pics, and quite a pronounced lump on the hind crown on a couple of the pics.

Yes fair comment looking at the pics on a laptop now. I'm sure it will be the bird reported as a Lesser Scaup,.

 

[Baldoon57]

Thanks for all the replies, I was using a scope to try and find it ,but I was looking for head shape when should have been looking for the grey back, it's been reported as a Lesser Scaup but it might be a hybrid.

 

[seawatcher]

Thanks for all the replies, I was using a scope to try and find it ,but I was looking for head shape when should have been looking for the grey back, it's been reported as a Lesser Scaup but it might be a hybrid.

Hybrid Aythya duck, not a pure Lesser Scaup. The back, bill and general shape are not right for Lesser.

 

[Butty]

bill and general shape

I'd value a bit more here.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Lesser Scaup can show green iridescence in head , that isn´t always reliable ....

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Lesser_Scaup_%28male%29_-_Aythya_affinis%2C_Oakley_Street%2C_Cambridge%2C_Maryland.jpg

But the bird in question has too much black around the nail, the grey back seems a bit dark and the tuft looks a bit too pronounced on some pictures , so I would go with a hybrid, as already said by others...

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Interestingly Lesser Scaup still being reported from the site today.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Interestingly Lesser Scaup still being reported from the site today.

Revised to hybrid now by RBA

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Revised to hybrid now by RBA

Glad that's cleared up then.