250 up with a Long-tailed duck - Marshside

For the past few weeks I've been putting off going to Leighton Moss for the long staying Long-tailed duck. First I didn't want to meet the Autumn watch team, then it was the weather, then something else would come up, I just couldn't get round to going.

Then on Thursday I saw the semi p at Knott End which put me on 249 for the year, and I decided that I just had to go this weekend to avoid the risk of not reaching 250 this year. I was all set to go, then news came out yesterday of a Long-tailed duck at Marshside. Thankfully it was still there this morning, and saved me a long drive! A nice little bird, it was constantly diving. Also at Marshside, at least 500 Black-tailed godwits and a few thousand Pink-footed geese and wigeon, plus the 1st winter Ross's goose..... 251????

Year 250 (Long-tailed duck)

Juvenile Long-tailed duck on junction pool. It always surprises me how small they are, those are Pintail up-ending in the background and even though you can only see half of them, they are still clearly much bigger than the Long-tailed duck. This was my second LTD at Marshside but the previous one was 31 years ago, on 12th December 1982, on my first ever visit to Marshside with my Dad. That bird was also on Junction pool, and there has been at least one other on the same pool which I did not see. There's clearly something about the pool they like!

I'm not sure what that is sticking out at the back of the duck, but I promise you it's not it's tail! Only adult males have long tails, this is a juvenile. Perhaps it was stretching its wing when I took the photo. The Pintail seemed to be permanently up-ended, on just about every photo I took today they looked like this!