Below are some images taken today of a duck found at Daventry Country Park this morning. Certainly on initial views the bird looks very much like a Blue-winged Teal, with a suite of supporting plumage characteristics and typical pallid-grey plumage tones. This species is rather closely related to Northern Shoveler and some individuals in the UK have in the past been attributed to being Blue-winged Teal x Shoveler hybrids.
To my mind there can be no doubt that its parentage includes a pure Blue-winged Teal, and although this species normally exhibits a spatula-like bill, the Daventry bird's bill seems too broad and long and too much like a Shoveler. Other observers have commented on the colouration of bare parts, but it seems that such colouration can be quite variable. I would value comments on the identity of this intriguing bird which was an excellent find and quite probably of transatlantic origin whatever its true parentage!
Other birds at Daventry CP today included 2 Grey Wagtails, 1 Green Sandpiper and 2 Common Sandpipers.
Another effort at catching roosting Swallows at Stortons GP this evening was successful with about a hundred birds captured. Interestingly more of them now are adults, the earlier catches tending to be mostly juveniles. Other birds caught included a Sand Martin and a Chiffchaff.
Regards
Neil M
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