The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Ten Ruddy Shelduck have been feeding on some wheat stubble at Garthorpe for the past few days (since the 9th at least), and are still there this morning. Quite likely they also spend time at Alkborough Flats and perhaps have come west of the river only after harvest.

Eight of them are normal adults and two are, I assume, Ruddy juveniles with heads largely concolorous with the mantle but with blotchy off-white faces. The eleventh bird is odd. Most of the plumage is very similar to the Ruddies though slightly darker. However the head is wholly dark with a purple/greenish sheen, and the neck (including round the back) and upper breast are pale buff. It looks heavier and larger headed than the Ruddies but it's hard to be sure this judgement isn't affected by the darker colouring.

Has anyone else seen this ruddy flock and got a better idea than me what the 11th bird is? I've had a quick look at hybrid ducks on the internet and wish I hadn't. My guess is that it has a touch of Common Shelduck or perhaps Mallard about it.

Andrew

Andrew

the Ruddy flock has built up from mid July with arrivals of 2's and 3's moving between Read's Island / Whitton Sand and Alkborough; the 8 seem to be Ruddy Shelducks but the two others we consider to be hybrids of some sort possibly with Cape Shelduck but that is just a guess; the other bird we think may be a Ruddy / Shelduck hybrid but again this is just a guess -- I will post some pics of the gang later for any further comment but I have had nothing yet from anyone contacted