Wigeon, gadwall, pochard and shoveler

We're getting much better at identifying ducks! As well as the mallards and tufted ducks, we identified some other species today.

male & female gadwall

There were a couple of pairs of gadwall, and some males that seemed to be on their own.

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At a distance I thought this was a red-crested pochard, but realised he didn't have the right colouring. It is, in fact, a wigeon.

Wigeon (male)

I thought this was quite a nice picture of red-crested pochards in flight.

red-crested pochards

And we saw a few shovelers in flight - such strange-looking birds. But just the one male on the lake.

Shovelers in flight

Shoveler male coming in to land